Stop and smell the roses
by Konzelwoman
Summary: He's a tattoo artist, the kind all the celebrities go to. She's the florist next door, the kind that hides behind the flowers she arranges. All she knows is he's devilishly handsome, she is nervous as hell, and he has some damn good advice. After walking 25 feet to the shop next door, Katniss may have found something worth stopping for besides just to smell the roses.
1. Chapter 1

She saw him sketch everyday as he smoked his cigarette. In between puffs he added details, shading, color, shadow. Each swipe of his wrist left behind a trail of beauty in it's wake.

Staring between the stems of the roses she was arranging, she was mesmerized once again by the picture taking form on the page in front of him. He sat with his back to the cedar beam supporting the awning, sunglasses sliding down his nose before he pushed them back up.

Snapping his book shut, he turned to the rose bushes at his back, damping out the remaining embers of his cigarette in the dirt, sniffing a bud as he rose, smiling on the exhale.

Katniss felt a boiling under her skin. She had planted those roses. Maintained them. Fed them, watered them, trimmed them. And here he was stamping out his death stick in the soil surrounding the roots.

Now every time she stopped to smell the roses on her way past she would also smell the faint stench of ash and tar. Fire beats roses.

Feeling her co-worker's eyes on her, she looked down to see petals scrunched in her fists.

"Sorry," she mumbled with a wince.

Shaking her head, her sister Prim took the petals from her hand, spreading them around a display. "You should just tell him. No need to take it out on innocent flowers."

"Maybe I will," she muttered, turning back to the now empty store front, bathed in the afternoon sun. _I am. I will_, she determined, but for now she was content to just stare at the crime scene from behind the glass.

It was safer in here. But safer from what, she wasn't entirely sure.

Xxx

There he was again, smoking out front.

The sun had set and the street lamps were flickering on one by one down the street like a procession of lightning bugs.

Prim was out on a delivery while she stayed behind to sweep and lock up.

She was just gathering her nerve to give him a piece of her mind when a black suburban pulled up, followed shortly by news vans.

Some well dressed, attractive, leggy blonde got out of the black car, a beefy security guard holding her door for her, and guiding her toward the shop next door, shielding her from the flashes of bulbs from the paparazzi that popped out of the news vans.

He smiled, rising to his feet as he snapped his book shut, tucking the pen behind his ear and tossing the cigarette carelessly into the bushes, not even bothering to blot it out.

Feeling like a wound up top about to spin out of control, Katniss gripped the broom like a vice.

What she was unprepared for was the pit of jealousy sinking in her stomach when he hugged the beautiful celebrity.

What was she jealous about? Constantly being on display for cameras? No thank you. It hit like a brick when she realized it was the way he smiled at her, embraced her, and talked to her.

She was jealous of not being on the receiving end of those arms.

Prim pulled up as the two disappeared into the tattoo parlor, and more news trucks pulled up, blocking them in. They would have to wait it out.

Xxx

When the blonde left, Katniss searched her very exposed skin for any sign of the new ink, but was unable to locate it.

"Glimmer! Where did you get your new tattoo?" some bozo behind a camera shouted.

The girl blushed and stared at the ground as she continued to walk to the car.

Of course.

She turned to see him waving at the blonde, smiling, before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, sliding down on the same cedar beam, slumping down at the bottom, sighing.

Why did he look so put out? He just got to see some million dollar part of a billion dollar person and stare at it while he worked his magic.

The thought disgusted Katniss. But at the same time made her jealous. Which also made her ashamed. She was jealous of a tramp stamp.

Xxx

She really should get to know his name. She did spend the majority of her days staring at him, after all.

To her credit, she did notice and collect small things.

Like the way he liked his coffee - black. All those years of archery camp paid off, giving her eyesight an extra something, and she read the scrolling sharpie on the side of the cup.

There was always a number scrawled on it, too. And not always the same one.

He drew, but she already knew that. Nature seemed to be his favorite, flowers, trees, sceneries. She hid in the back when he came over to buy a bouquet of Primroses for reference, staring at him through the little window in the door.

Prim had looked at her pointedly as he turned and left, leaving the change for his hundred dollar bill behind in the tip jar. His total was only fifteen dollars.

He smoked a lot. And always put them out in the bed of her roses. Right above the roots.

It was almost metaphorical.

Katniss was nearly exploding every time she saw him do it, and he always did it.

The roots of her flowers, that she cared for and tended to, making them grow strong and deep were being threatened on the surface by a scorching intruder, scraping away a little of the top soil every time.

Not many people found their way under her skin, but Blondie had, and he continued to scratch, continued to root, further and further into her being so much so, that they were almost connected, on some level.

But that was silly talk. Right?

Xxx

He brought in his sketch of the Primroses the next day, giving it to Prim, promising to buy her a frame for it.

She tried to push it back to him, but he insisted, smiling as he backed away from the counter.

"The muse deserves the finished product," he said, before turning to leave.

Making sure the coast was clear, Katniss left the back room and studied the drawing over Prim's shoulder.

It was breathtaking.

"Some girl wanted flowers, so he came here for inspiration," Prim said, her voice distant. "Apparently she loved it so much, she wants to come and talk to us about arrangements for her wedding."

"He said you were his muse?"

"My name. He didn't know what flower to get, so he asked what 'Prim' was short for."

Katniss walked around the counter to look at the stack of orders.

"Who wants Katniss flowers?"

Prim smiled. "He does."

Maybe all the root talk wasn't silly after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Katniss got to work early the next day, stopping to smell the rose bushes on the way in, closing her eyes leisurely.

A smile graced her face when the pure, unabashed smell of rose hit her nose, a scowl taking over when she opened her eyes and saw the cigarette butt on the ground down below.

Staring at the thing as if she could make it disappear with her mind, she walked toward the shop, not taking her eyes off it until she passed through the door, even then taking a step back to double check it was still there.

It was.

Xxx

Prim was flipping through a book of arrangements with a client as Katniss worked on a setting of daisies.

She kept catching herself looking out the window, watching for his car. Each time kicking herself inwardly for waiting.

What was there to wait for? The glimpse of his blue eyes if he forgot his sunglasses? The flash of a dimple as he smiled at the stranger walking down the sidewalk? That beautiful blonde hair that was perfect no matter how he had it?

No. None of that was worth waiting for. At least, she tried to tell herself that.

Again.

And again.

Xxx

Stealing a glimpse out the front window as she set up some display arrangements, she caught sight of him, ducking with a slight squeak behind the display, peering through the leaves as he walked toward the tattoo shop.

He was wearing a white t-shirt, pushing his hand through his damp hair as he jogged to the door. He must have showered right before, and he was running late, causing a million scenarios to run through Katniss' mind.

She really hated that Prim had insisted on the pop station this morning. Taylor Swift was crooning about long hair slicked back and a white t-shirt, and that James Dean daydream look in your eyes…..

She really hated Prim right now.

Xxx

It was several hours later that he came out for his first cigarette.

She wanted desperately to be angry with him, waiting for the moment he tapped it out in the dirt, ready to pounce.

He did, rising to his feet and she was about to charge when he started heading for the door of her shop.

She must have looked comical as she scrambled into the back, peering through the little window as he came in.

He smiled at Prim, greeting her by name as he walked in.

"Hey, Peeta," Prim smiled back.

_Peeta_? Of all the names she had made up for him, _Peeta_ was not one of them, but now as she looked at him, it fit. He was so….. _Peeta_.

By the time she came back to the conversation he was thanking her for that arrangement of Katniss flowers he had ordered.

"Oh, I didn't arrange them," Prim was saying.

No, no, no, no, no!

"Oh! Well who did, so I can thank them?"

Katniss slammed her forehead against the glass of the door with a loud thump, cringing at the sound and ducking down to a squat, her back to the door, her palm slamming her forehead.

"What was that?" She heard Peeta's muffled voice through the door.

Her hand slipped down to her mouth, covering it in disbelief, her eyes wide, shaking her head in a vigorous no.

"Just my sister," Prim sighed, Katniss letting her hand fall limply as she scowled, pretending Prim could see.

"Oh." Peeta sounded confused, and a little frightened.

She almost laughed. Peeta was afraid of the thump in the flower shop. It was slightly satisfying, and she smiled smugly, relishing in the way she had gotten back at him, however small.

She heard the front bells jingle, followed by silence.

She jumped, falling onto her butt when Prim swung the door open, standing there with her hands on her hips.

"He's gone."

"Thanks."

Xxx

"Why don't you just talk to him?"

Katniss slowly swung her head to look at Prim as they arranged a wildflower setting together.

"Don't look at me like that," Prim said, not even glancing at the scowl she knew was being shot her way, chuckling when she knew she'd made it deeper.

"Because." Katniss shrugged, turning back to her arrangement.

"…Because?" Prim prodded.

"That's all. I don't need more of an answer than that."

"Yes you do."

"Okay. Fine. Because….. Because."

"Katniss-"

"Fine! I just….. I don't know. He's…. I… Because." She stared at the flowers in front of her, feeling Prim's eyes on her. "Shut up."

Xxx

She stared at him unabashedly as he sketched the next day, mindlessly fiddling with the bouquet in front of her.

"You know I'm no good with words," she turned to Prim, speaking quietly.

With a sympathetic smile, Prim leaned on the counter. "You don't need to use words."

"What are you suggesting?" Katniss narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"He's an artist," she said flippantly, turning back to the papers in front of her. "A tattoo artist. He speaks with pictures. And you, my sister, have a beautiful canvas."

Prim looked up to see Katniss slack jawed.

She shrugged. "What? A little ink wouldn't hurt. Well, it would, but it wouldn't kill you."

"What would I even get?" Katniss said, her voice small in defeat.

Prim grinned impishly at her sister. "Improvise."

Xxx

After pondering it, Katniss decided to go for it, watching him draw all day cementing the idea.

She would let him decide.

She would do it.

She would.

Tomorrow.

Maybe.

Xxx

The sun was setting the next day when she had summoned the courage to walk next door.

When she got to the front door she froze, stuck in her tracks.

Prim tried to push her, gently offering words of encouragement, without any success. Finally she shoved her with a "Go!" and she slammed into the door as it swung open, flying out onto the sidewalk.

Smoothing out her braid and pressing the wrinkles out of her clothes, she turned and stood in front of the store next door, her hand hovering over the handle.

"Go!" Prim's muffled voice came from behind the shop door, startling Katniss.

With one last deep breath she pushed the door open and stepped inside.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks for the wonderful response to this story! It has blown me away! _

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.)_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

"How can I help you, sweetheart?" A gruff voice greeted her.

"A drink maybe," she mumbled, turning to the rough sounding stranger.

The man barked out a laugh. He was older, maybe about her dad's age, but weathered in a way that showed he had seen a lot. The spark in his eyes was dim, but it was still there.

"Sorry, darlin'. Already called dibs." He pulled out a flask and took a quick swig before returning it to it's hiding place.

"Yeah. Okay," Katniss said dryly, staring at the spot where she knew the flask was. "I work at the shop next door and-"

"Yeah, I know. I've seen ya."

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "Um-"

"Your name is Katniss. Your sister over there is Prim. You sing like an angel." His voice got softer, and he stared at the desk absently as he spoke. "I knew you parents. We were really close." He looked up, meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry. They were good people."

"Yeah, they were."

"And I really like the new name of the shop. 'Lilly's corner' always seemed so…. Cutesie. 'A Rose By Any Other Name' was very clever."

Katniss smiled. "Yeah, well, I voted for 'Pushing Up Dasies', but I was overruled."

The man crumpled down on the desk in front of him, his body shaking with laughter. When he looked back up, Katniss saw that spark was back, the embers growing.

He pointed at her. "I like you."

"Don't say that just yet."

Xxx

The man had introduced himself as Haymitch Abernathy, and told her to have a seat while she waited on Peeta.

She didn't like his grin when she said that's who she was wanting to see. Impish. Mischievous. Unsettling.

Suddenly Peeta walked around the corner, searching the empty room for her. When he saw her, something in his demeanor changed, but she couldn't quite tell how. Just a shift.

"Hi, I'm Peeta," he said as he approached her, holding out his hand.

She was finally on the receiving end.

"Katniss Everdeen." She shook his hand firmly, leaving no room for dawdling.

"So, Haymitch tells me you work at the shop next door?"

"Own it, actually."

"Really? Wow! That's awesome! So why do you want to talk to me?"

"I, uh, I see you sketch all the time from the shop window, and decided I can trust you with my first tattoo."

Something rolled in his eyes. Hope? Embarrassment? Intrigue?

"Well, I'm honored. Come on back."

Xxx

"Now you don't seem like a girly-girl to me, so, I'll try to avoid hearts and flowers. Plus anything with petals would just be too cliché." He grinned like a school boy, eyes twinkling.

_Okay, Smart ass_.

"It's your first tat-"

"Only," she corrected him firmly.

"It's your first tat," he reiterated, grinning at the scowl he earned, "So we will go simple and small. Something symbolic. Now, correct me if I'm wrong - your name is a kind of flower, but we want to avoid petals. It also is known for it's arrowhead shaped leaves and is called many forms of birds followed by the word 'potato'. Now, I don't think you want a potato as your first tattoo….. Or any tattoo. But the bird thing, the arrow, I can work with that. Do you trust me?"

She nodded, trying to smile.

Katniss glanced at the man beside the chair in which she was laying while he mixed the paints and laid everything out, fidgeting her toe in anxiousness.

He had wide shoulders and a kind face. She relaxed a little while staring at his eyelashes as he prepped the ink, but as soon as he looked up with those bright blue eyes and that kind, almost mischievous grin, her stomach was back to knots.

She groaned internally and turned to look at the ceiling, holding her arms across her ribcage just a little bit tighter.

"Nervous?" He asked.

God, why did his voice have to be so sexy and sweet at the same time?

"Yeah. A little," she smirked. "How could you tell?"

He glanced at her foot still tapping the air to the invisible rhythm. A quick glance down herself and she stopped, smiling bashfully.

"So you own the flower shop next door, huh?"

He was making small talk. That was sweet. It would make this a lot easier if his voice wasn't dripping with something so….. Intriguing.

"Yeah," she tried to smile.

"So we're neighbors, huh?"

She rolled her eyes, a chuckle escaping despite her efforts. "Yes."

"Only 25 feet away this entire time, you think I would have noticed you before."

"No one really notices me."

"I find that hard to believe."

She looked up at him incredulously, but saw only sincerity in his eyes, causing her to soften. She looked back up to the ceiling.

"So you own a flower shop-"

"We've established that."

"And," he said pointedly, "you're name is Katniss. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that kind of ironic?"

Katniss slowly rolled her head back over to face him. His smirk was so unnerving and unsettling and attractive all at the same time. She scowled at him. "Shut up and draw."

"I may incorporate a few petals…. For irony's sake."

She rolled her eyes at the ceiling, turning to him when silence hung in the air.

"Will you allow it?"

She turned back to the ceiling, fighting the urge to smile. "I'll allow it."

Xxx

He wouldn't let her look at what he was doing, despite her efforts, so she just laid back and closed her eyes, letting him doodle on her forearm.

Xxx

"Done!"

_What_?

Katniss opened her eyes, squinting and blinking at the bright lights above her. Her forearm had gauze over it, taped down.

She looked up around the room, finding Peeta leaning on the door frame, his arms crossed.

"What?" She licked her lips, heavy with cobwebs of sleep.

Was he blushing? "You fell asleep."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked so peaceful. Didn't scowl so much." He rubbed the back of his neck briefly, returning his arms to cross his chest. "I talked Haymitch into letting me close. It's been 2 hours, we can take that bandage off."

He walked over to her and sat down in his chair, gently taking the tape off.

Katniss would have asked him to rip it off quick, like a band aid, but the slow reveal of what lay underneath was worth it.

A string of birds in flight, solid black, their wings particularly pointy, and no petals.

She smiled. "No petals."

He grinned. "No petals. I'm not that cruel."

"What changed your mind? I mean, I was out. You could have tattooed a mustache on my face."

He threw his head back and laughed. "I contemplated doing that with my sharpie but Haymitch smacked the back of my head when I suggested it. And stole my sharpie. You owe me a new sharpie."

She scowled.

"Ah! No! Go back to sleep! Your face is contorting again!"

Despite her best efforts, it melted and turned into a small smile as she looked down at the tattoo.

"It's what came to mind when I saw your eyelashes flutter in your sleep."

She looked up at him, the look in his eyes kind.

"Free, graceful, beautiful."

She rose to a seated position, staring at the tattoo, admiring it.

"I'll walk you to the door."

Once they were there, he handed her a sheet of paper with instructions on how to care for it.

"What do I owe you?"

"It's on the house."

She would have argued but his smile didn't leave room for it.

"And if you have any questions, I'm right next door." He winked.

"Thanks," she said, looking down at the paper.

She walked out as he locked the door behind her, smiling when she saw her rose bush.

She had forgotten to talk to him.

Spinning around the shop was now dark except for Peeta's room in the back where he must be cleaning. She barely heard the radio playing some new pop song from the back.

Sighing, she smacked her forehead.

_Fire beats roses_. _Again_.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks for the wonderful response to this story! It has blown me away! _

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Katniss stared out the window as she saw him pull up the next day. She was determined to talk to him, tell him about her bushes. It had plagued her dreams the night before, filling them with black birds and ashes and roses everywhere, burning in rubble. The smell was almost sickening.

She would tell him today, so help her- Oh. He was waving at her. And smiling.

Tentatively waving back, she felt a smile betray her attempted scowl.

She watched as he walked into the front of the tattoo shop, staring long after he passed the threshold.

There was something she was supposed to do, but she couldn't remember what.

Xxx

She was sweeping out front the next time she saw him.

He was sending a client on their way, waving with that same dashing grin.

Approaching her, his eyes adopted something mischievous. "So how is my flower girl today?"

"Flower girl?" She scowled, placing a hand on her hip.

"Well, I was going to say 'bird lady', but that just didn't sound right. Although, now with a scowl like that, I'm starting to see it."

She felt a chuckle rising unbidden, spilling out her lips before she had the time to catch it.

"I'm doing fine, thank you."

"Good. Good."

A car pulled up, the driver greeting Peeta as they emerged.

He waved enthusiastically back before turning to her one last time. "Well, business calls. See you later?"

"Sure." She sighed, feigning boredom.

"Great. We can talk about your next tattoo."

"I- Wha- Huh?"

He was through the door with his friend before she could form a rebuttal, but not before looking over his shoulder with a wink.

Xxx

What was going on?

Katniss Everdeen did not feel this way about anyone.

She never got butterflies in her stomach at the mere thought of someone's smile.

A grin never graced her lips as she thought of their voice.

They never consumed her thoughts and actions just by…. Being.

What had Peeta Mellark done?

Xxx

A short while later, Peeta ushered in a beautiful blonde haired woman into her shop, announcing to Prim that she was the one wanting the flowers for her wedding.

She introduced herself to Prim as Madge, and the two sat down to go over arrangements.

Katniss heard him ask for her through the back door, rolling her eyes when Prim didn't hesitate to give away her position.

Soon the back door swung open and the heavy footsteps she had recently become accustomed to came to a stop behind her as she worked on an arrangement.

"So you're the bump in the back of the flower shop," he mused.

"Boo!" She said lightly, not looking away from the bouquet, which was difficult when she heard him laugh.

The smell of cheese invaded her senses and she started sniffing like a bloodhound, coming to a stop at a bag Peeta held in his hand.

"What are you doing?" He asked incredulously.

She scowled at him, her new favorite thing to do.

"Oh, this?" Peeta pointed to the bag, an impish grin on his face. "Yeah, I was gonna give you one, but that look on your face scares me, so I'm gonna go."

"What is in the bag, smart ass?"

His grin only grew, and he held the bag a little further from her. "Oh? So you have some sass after all. I thought you just slept in tattoo parlor chairs and dabbled with flowers. But looks like I was wrong. Here. Have a treat for showing me up."

He held out the bag to her, that grin seemingly permanently on his face. "I promise. It's not poison. That tattoo deserves a longer life."

She grabbed the bag from him, mumbling nonsense under her breath as she opened it.

Picking the thing up delicately, she licked her lips as she stared at it, Peeta's words barely coming through the heavenly chorus in her head.

"They are called cheese buns. I made them myself."

She shot him a look. "You bake, too?"

"I dabble."

_Baker_. She would have to add it to the list of words she used to figure him out.

Moaning as she took a bite, she closed her eyes at the fireworks show from her tastebuds, glaring at him when his laugh intruded her bubble of heaven.

What was that look in his eye? Was he flushed? Why was he shifting his weight from side to side?

"Looks like I'll have to make more of these."

"No, please don't."

He looked a little hurt. "Why?"

"Because that's dangerous."

His eyes sparked with something intriguing, keeping Katniss' gaze on him.

"So, about your next tattoo…."

She groaned, talking through a mouthful of food. "You are being ridiculous."

Xxx

Now the birds were pecking at those damned buns in her dream, beside a rose bush set on fire.

_Fire beats roses_. _Again_.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks for the wonderful response to this story! It has blown me away!_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

He was taking a smoke break for the first time in days.

Another beautiful female client had just left. She was starting to see a trend.

Announcing to Prim she was taking her lunch break, swatting at the air behind her after shooting a glare over her shoulder at her sister's protests that she had already taken lunch, she walked over to him.

"Hey," she smiled down at him.

Looking up at her, he smiled as he shielded his sunglass covered gaze with his hand. "Hey!"

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, Eveerdeen." He patted the ground beside him, pulling out his pack of cigarettes. "Want one?" He asked, holding the box out toward her.

"No, I don't smoke," she shook her head.

Studying him as he placed the pack back in his jacket pocket, she noticed his drawing was only half done, his pen behind his ear.

"Don't stop on my account," she gestured to the notebook.

He chuckled. "I don't stop for anyone, sweetheart." Catching her scowl, he winced. "Sorry. Haymitch rubs off on ya after a bit."

She stared at the spot that had held the car of his last client. "So, is it just me, or do you only smoke after female clients?"

He narrowed his eyebrows at her. "You watchin' me through those stems, flower girl?"

When she didn't answer and stared at her lap, he chuckled. "Fine. Guilty."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

She was starting to blush. "Well, based on the fact that I can see no more ink on them when they come out than when they go in, I can only imagine you get some opportune views of some highly private property." His smile was unnerving. "Now, I'm not judging-"

"Yes you are."

"And I know that a cigarette _after_ is supposed to be wonderful-"

"Damn straight."

"But tell me - is it customary to also slump and look defeated once they drive away?"

He stared at her, his face void of emotion.

She stared right back.

"Can I give you another tattoo?"

"Are you really avoiding this? And hell no!"

"None of your business, bird lady, and come on! It's just with sharpie."

"Yeah, until you talk me into that parlor chair again." She pointed toward his shop.

There was that grin again. "So there's still a chance at that, huh?"

"I didn't say-"

"You didn't have to."

After both stared down one another, not budging an inch, Katniss finally caved, holding out her arm without the tattoo.

"Fine. Ink me like one of your celebrities."

He beamed as he stamped out his cigarette in the bushes once again, causing her to almost recoil her arm and give him a piece of her mind, but his soft fingers held her arm before she could, his words stopping her resolve.

"Thank you! I would much rather doodle on you than paint one more butterfly above a perfect ass. What? You said it, not me."

"Wait. Did she-" Katniss pointed to the empty parking spot.

"Whoop! Sorry. Artist/Client privileges, and all that."

She could see his wink through his sunglasses and wanted to hate him for it.

Tried to hate him for it.

Was almost successful, too, until she felt the swooping of the pen against her arm, oddly calming.

Once again he denied her access to view what he was drawing, so she tilted her head back against the cedar post, closing her eyes and soaking up the sun shine.

Soon she felt her head fall to his shoulder, something inside her crying out in protest, telling her to lift her head, but as she took a deep breath and inhaled the mixed smells of roses and ashes and the smell of Peeta which was chocolate, pear, smoke, and cologne, she found herself smiling.

It was intoxicating.

Her last memory was her mumbling to him, "Don't go and mustache me or anything."

Followed by his chuckle as she drifted off to sleep, almost missing his last words. "Aw, man."

Xxx

She woke to the sun on her face and a gentle nudge on her shoulder.

"Wake up, sleepy head! I'm done."

Peeta was looking down at her with a smile she had seen only once before - when she had woken in the tattoo parlor. It was the sweet, sensitive, almost shy grin.

His sun glasses were falling down his nose, giving her a view of those baby blues.

"Your eyes remind me of flowers."

"If I didn't know you were a florist, that would sound very odd."

She lightly shoved him, his chuckle vibrating under her ear, her head still on his shoulder.

"Forget me nots."

"Well that just made it even more special."

She looked down and saw a simple smilie face drawn on her arm. Looking back up to him, he wore a boyish grin. "You fell asleep again, and you looked so happy, it's all I could think of."

"'All I could think of'," Katniss mumbled, looking down at it again. "Yeah right. You are renowned for your art and this is all you could think of."

"What can I say? A pretty girl on my arm makes my mind do silly things."

"Like not think?"

"Like not think."

"I wish I had that super power."

"Me, too. Truth is, only happens when I'm working on you."

"What?"

"I don't know. I have a very creative, overactive imagination, and it's always easy for me, but you get in there, and fall asleep in my damn chair, and my mind is on hiatus."

"Really."

"Really. Why do you think I'm so eager to get you back in there? I need to shake these Everdeen-Blues."

She had never been very rebellious. Katniss was the kind of person that felt guilty for not making her bed every morning, loaded every dish in the dishwasher right after use, and had an organized hamper system. Why the hell not get a tattoo?

"Fine."

Xxx

Katniss walked out of the parlor later that night after work, staring down at the inside of her wrist.

He had outlined a vine of forget me nots, saying he could add color later.

"See? Told you. Unimaginative." His hands were deep in his pockets as he stared at the ground outside sheepishly.

"No, I think they are beautiful. If you color them, they have to match your eyes, though. And I don't think that is possible."

"Did you just compliment me?"

"…No."

"Yes you did."

"So, do you have any tattoos?" Katniss changed the subject, pulling her sleeve down over the tattoo, wincing slightly.

"Goodnight, Everdeen." And with a wink he was locking up the shop, once again going to the back to clean up, leaving Katniss banging her head on the cedar post as she passed by and smelled the roses.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

"Boo!" Katniss smiled when Peeta startled as she spun around to face him, laughing when the white paper bag he was carrying flopped from hand to hand like a hot coal.

"How did you-"

"You walk like an elephant."

Gripping the top of the bag tightly, crumpling it, he stared at her as she leaned back against the table she had been working at, arms crossing over her chest as she smiled smugly.

"Give me the buns."

"No." He stuck his chin up in defiance, his jaw set, but his eyes twinkled otherwise.

"Give me the buns, Mellark." Katniss held out her hand, opening and closing it impatiently.

"Why should I?"

"Because I will let you give me another tattoo."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"No."

"What?"

"No."

"Then say bye-bye to the buns, Miss Everdeen."

"I'll share more of my lunch with you," she called out after him as he turned to leave.

"I don't want any more rabbit food."

"I made fried chicken today, per your request, smart ass."

Without losing momentum he had spun around and was back at the table.

She held out a container of chicken and a container of fruit. "I also brought pears for dessert."

"That is not a dessert, that is rabbit food."

He took the whole container of chicken, gave her one cheese bun, and turned to leave.

"The deal was for three of these, Ink Breath!"

"So sue me." He passed through the back doors of the shop. There was a pause before his muffled voice came through again, speaking around a mouthful of food. "Mmmmm. I need this recipe."

"No. You want it? Sue me."

"Shut up and eat your pears."

Xxx

They went about having lunch like this every day, sometimes even Haymitch and Prim would sit with them.

"Haymitch, do you have any tattoos?" Katniss asked one day in between bites of sandwich.

"Hell no!" He said emphatically. "My body is a sacred temple."

She scowled at him. "So are you saying I've graffitied my chapel?"

"No. You had Michelangelo come and paint your ceilings."

Katniss pondered the words as she heard Prim mutter under her breath, "Well, then take me to Church."

Xxx

Katniss had run out of excuses.

She had to talk to him about the bushes.

Charging over into his shop, her feet carrying her further in despite the urge to run, she found herself marching right into his little room.

"Peeta, we need to talk."

Spinning around on his desk chair to face her, he steepled his fingers and cocked an eyebrow. "Come into my office."

"Stop being dumb."

"And yet you smile."

"I planted those rose bushes out front."

That was all that would come out. She meant to say more, had more cocked and ready to fire but her tongue was suddenly made out of lead.

"…..That's great," he said haltingly.

"My mom wanted them planted, but never got the chance, so when I got the shop, I planted them."

Peeta stood and walked over to her, wrapping her in an embrace.

It startled her. Not only had they barely gone beyond a side hug before, she hadn't even noticed the tears threatening to spill from her eyes until she took a shuddering breath on Peeta's shoulder.

She wrapped her arms around him slowly, tightening a little every second, and he met her ounce for ounce.

"I'm so sorry, Katniss. Lily sounds like she was a wonderful person." His voice was soft, and he began to rub circles on her back.

"She really was," Katniss whispered, staring at the wall over his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you for finishing what she wanted to."

"Thank you." Her voice was small, uncharacteristic of her.

"And they look and smell amazing."

"Damn straight."

He chuckled and she relished in the sound, the vibrations against her chest, the feel of an upturned cheek against her hair.

This was the closest she had been to anyone other than Prim since the accident. It was also her first time to cry.

She folded herself further into his chest, wanting to cocoon in his arms.

"I know what tattoo I want next."

"You want another one?" His voice was hopeful, but quiet.

"You got me addicted. And I only want it if you'll do it."

"Duh."

They both chuckled as he pushed her to arms length, letting her wipe her tears.

"An infinity symbol."

"And why is that?"

"No matter where I go, I always come back to this - back to me."

"And where do you want it?"

"On my ankle, to remind me that every step I take is going somewhere. Carrying me forward."

Peeta smiled at her and began prepping things as she hopped up on the table, staring at her hands in her lap.

"I got my father's voice, you know."

"Really?" She nodded. "I've heard Haymitch talk about your dad some. Said he could make the birds stop with one note. Supposedly you inherited that trait."

"I don't know about that…."

"Let's see."

Disappearing around the corner, Peeta propped the back door open, letting in the chorus of bird songs over the low din of traffic.

"Sing while I paint. Maybe you will inspire me."

"Fine. But no petals."

She cleared her throat and sang the first song that came to mind. An old song her father had taught her, the first, in fact.

It was a haunting melody about a lover calling out to his beloved, searching for her, searching for answers, simply searching.

When she stopped, she looked down to see Peeta looking up at her in what she could only consider adoration.

"Wow. You, I, just, um….. Wow."

Something changed in his demeanor as he rose, cleaning up his station, getting the gauze and tape.

"You sound just like your daddy," Katniss looked up to find Haymitch leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, and a reminiscent smile on his face. He looked up at the ceiling. "You hear that, Joel? Your daughter got the same gift that got you in trouble. You always were a mess."

He looked back to Katniss with a crooked grin, one she couldn't help but match.

"Trouble?" Peeta repeated.

Haymitch chuckled. "His voice got sweetheart here's momma to choose him over someone else, raising all kinds of hell. It was romantic as all get out, but the town went nuts."

Something in Peeta's gaze made Katniss stare a little deeper than usual. His eyes were fixed on hers, the usual dance in them seeming to come to a standstill. But not completely, more like an interlude, or as if waiting for their next cue. "I can see why."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Peeta was missing the next few days, and Katniss was surprised at the growing lump in her stomach every time she looked out the window to see him, finding his usual cedar post empty.

It was probably her imagination, but even the roses seemed to have faded.

She got lost in her thoughts as she stared at the rain falling on the sidewalk outside, leaning on the broom in her hand.

Haymitch said he was just visiting his family, nothing to worry about, but the way he patted her shoulder as he walked past seemed heavy, almost sad.

Katniss leaned the broom on the wall and crawled into the display window, drawing her knees up to her chest, leaning her shoulder against the cold window.

She found herself worrying for Peeta - why, she wasn't quite sure. To be honest, she was more worried about how the lack of Peeta made her feel.

Each rain drop hitting the cement was another reminder of time passing. Another rain drop, another second, another moment gone.

How had someone found their way so far under her skin? She thought of all the things she knew about him, a cluster of words, really.

_Baker_. _Painter_. _Artist_. _Funny_. _Handsome_. _Sweet_. _Caring_.

She smiled when all of the words blended together into one. _Peeta_.

Leaning her head against the glass with a soft thump she stared at the raindrops falling on the cement outside. Each one representing a second, a moment, each one a little closer to seeing him again.

Xxx

He pulled up that evening, long after both shops had closed.

Katniss and Prim stayed late to work on the wedding order, and Haymitch had offered to stay with them, "for protection", he had said as he reclined in a chair and pulled out his flask, propping his feet against the wall.

He and Prim had left just moments before to go grab some fast food somewhere -

"Are you going to be okay, darlin'?" Haymitch had asked her.

She scowled at him.

"I'm a big girl, I can protect myself."

"Right," he shot back dryly. "And if all else fails, just give 'em the look you're giving me right now. Scare the socks off 'em."

\- when Katniss saw the headlights from the back. She was going to go say hi to him when she heard the front bells jingling.

Prim hadn't locked the door. If not for Peeta's unmistakable loud gait, she would think twice about grabbing that bat in the corn-

It had a limp. Peeta didn't limp.

Soundlessly setting down the stems in her hand and walking to the corner, Katniss grabbed the bat, ready to strike.

When the door swung open she lunged, trying to startle whoever was trying to kill her before she started swinging, but came face to face with a screaming Peeta, his loud cry of terror causing her to yelp and drop the bat with a loud clatter, causing them both to scream once again, startled by the sound.

As suddenly as they had started they had stopped and stared wide eyed at one another for what seemed an eternity.

After a moment they were both bent at the waist, gasping for air as they laughed, Peeta laughing so hard he fell to his knees.

They both rose as the fits of laughter died down, both of them rosy cheeked and looking anywhere but at each other.

"You're limping," Katniss said abruptly.

"Ah, yeah, but I'm fine. Wrestled with my brothers a little too much over vacation."

So he had brothers. She stored the information away for a later conversation.

Nodding, she smiled. "Well, I'm just glad you're back."

There was that grin she had missed so much. "Me, too."

She walked toward him, arms open wide to embrace him, his held out to welcome her.

They were barely touching when she slipped in a puddle on the floor from a nearby planter, grasping at Peeta as he reached to try and catch her, only to successfully fall with her.

Somehow they landed in that cliche movie pose where she was on top, their noses inches apart, their breathing going ragged.

She stared down at the blue eyes so close to her own, glancing down to the lips dangerously close as well.

When he licked them, she looked away with a chuckle.

"What?" He asked, his voice bouncing with a laugh.

"You were so close you looked like you had one eye." It was a lie, but all she could think of. Why, she had no idea.

He reached up and touched her chin lightly, turning her back to him.

"My eyes are gorgeous, so I can see why one giant one would be hard to handle. But, FYI, I see both of your eyes, so I know you're lying. I never noticed before, probably because any time I'm close enough you fall asleep," she laughed, "But, your eyes aren't just grey. They are almost silver. You even have little flecks of blue and gold, like sparks flying off something being forged."

"Are you comparing my eyes to medieval weaponry?" She smiled slyly.

"And if I am?" He hooked a finger under her chin, drawing her closer.

"I'll take what I can get," she said, causing something to sparkle in his eyes.

"Are you telling me you're settling?" He pretended to sound offended, drawing her closer still.

"An artist just described my eyes with big words about fire and swords. I'd be dumb if I didn't accept that."

"Will you kiss already?" Prim cried exasperatedly through the door.

They both looked up to see her and Haymitch peeking through the glass.

"Don't stop on my account," Haymitch said.

Katniss tried to pull away, but Peeta grabbed her chin gently, pulling her back to where they were, lips barely touching, and that damn grin on his face.

"I don't stop for anyone, sweetheart," he whispered, leaning up so that their lips finally touched.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Katniss tossed and turned that night, thoughts of fire consuming flowers, birds pecking at crumbs, ashes covering a field of forget me nots as her parents walked hand in hand through them, circling the field.

Every new tattoo added to her nightmares.

Maybe it wasn't so much the ink seeping into skin and poisoning her, like she kept trying to convince herself.

It all started back when the boy with the pen who sat outside drawing used her bushes as an ash tray.

It all came back to Peeta.

Peeta.

They had kissed. Finally kissed. She scowled in her half-asleep state at the thought of 'finally'.

Was this something she had been waiting for?

Sure, he gave her butterflies. His dimples were gorgeous. His hair was inviting. She wanted to dive into his eyes and just float.

And that damn grin.

The same one he had worn as he kissed her.

He had kissed her. They had kissed. The two of them had kissed.

She smiled, biting her lip as she rolled to her side, settling into the pillow.

_They had kissed_.

Xxx

_They had kissed_.

Katniss eyes widened in terror when she saw him approach the door to her shop the next day before going to his own.

What do people do after they kiss? Last night he had said he was tired and held her hand as they walked to his car, their goodbye hug lingering a little longer than usual.

Okay, a lot longer. Haymitch had cleared his throat at least nine times. Prim slapping his arm and telling him to leave them alone every time.

He came in, the bells above the door jingling.

He waved to Prim with a small smile before turning to Katniss, making a b-line for her, holding her gaze.

"Hi," he said quietly, almost shyly, when he got to her, his hands dug deep into his pockets.

"Hi," Katniss said, in a very un-Katniss-like voice, the butterflies in her stomach trying to fly out her throat.

"So, lunch today? I'll pay."

_Was this like a date_?

"You mean like a date?" She really needed to work on her filter.

"Yeah, well, er, um….. I mean…. If you want it to be." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Who is this shy, school boy of a man I see before me?"

"Someone willing to pay for your food, woman. Take it or leave it."

She stuck her chin up in the air, set defiantly. "I think I will take it."

Xxx

"I haven't seen you smoking recently," she said over the appetizer of fried cheese sticks they shared.

"Haven't really had the need to," he shrugged, staring at his cheese stick swirling in the ranch.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Well, like you already accused me of, it was only the female clients. I just got sick and tired of dealing with the press after, that I gave them an excuse to ignore me, by being uninteresting and occupied."

Katniss knit her eyebrows together as she studied him, deciding the answer was good enough to leave the topic alone. "How do you deal with drawing butterflies on boobs and stuff?"

Peeta looked her right in the eye, his face blank before bursting out into laughter. "Is that really what you think I do?"

"Isn't it?" She scowled.

"No. I would never stoop to that. I'm more than just a tattoo artist. Unless someone can tell me why they want something, I don't ink them. And 'Because it's sexy' doesn't count."

Katniss chuckled. "Even the male clients?"

"Even the male clients. Finnick Odair?"

"The Olympic swimmer?"

"Yeah. I did that anchor on his back."

She held her hand in front of her mouth as she spoke, hiding the cheesey mass she had just bit off. "That was you?"

"Yup. It symbolizes his girlfriend, Annie."

"He has a girlfriend? He is such a womanizer! Well, according to what I've read."

"Not really. The two of them have been exclusive for years. It's this whole media thing, an image to keep up and all."

Katniss nodded as if she knew what 'all' entailed. "So why an anchor? Was a mermaid too cliche?"

Peeta chuckled. "Because she is his anchor. She grounds him, and he doesn't go anywhere without her. His exact words were, 'You don't dock your boat without an anchor. Sometimes she's the only thing keeping me afloat."

"Anchors don't float…." Katniss said haltingly.

"No, but they hold the boat steady."

"And he wanted it on his back why? An anchor on his shoulder too spinach eating sailor for him?"

Peeta smiled. "Your puns are terrible." He ducked as a breadstick flew at him. "Because when they film the meets that is usually all they show, the backs of the swimmers. He wanted everyone to know she was right there with him, always in view, behind him, supporting him, and to remind him when he reviewed footage of his practices." He picked up the breadstick and took a bite, grimacing, and staring at the offending thing with distaste.

"Wow. That's a lot better story than butterflies on boobs."

Peeta tossed the breadstick on his plate, half eaten. "Yeah. Glimmer that came in last week?"

"Blondie with a body?"

"Yeah. She got a heart behind her ear. Her hair covers it. And it's to symbolize her boyfriend. That singer, Cato?"

"Yeah?"

"It's where she wears her ear piece during concerts."

"Aw! Did he get a heart, too?" Katniss asked in the most annoying voice she could muster, before reaching for the breadstick.

"No, no. He got a fermata."

Katniss grimaced.

"You know, the musical symbol that means 'to hold until the director tells you to stop'?"

She looked up at him, mouth full of bread. "Yes. I am aware of the term. I do sing, you know."

"Really? I never would have guessed it."

She threw the bread back at him. "Shut up. This bread is burned."

"I wondered why you snatched it from my plate…."

She shrugged. "Waste not, want not. But that is definitely a want not, period."

"You need to work on your puns."

"Don't make me throw more bread at you."

Xxx

A fermata. That was sweet. He was always holding her heart.

"What's going on?" Katniss studied the sidewalk as they pulled up, swamped with cameras and news trucks.

She had gotten used to this. Peeta was often stalked by some news person or camera and asked a plethora of questions, but this seemed like an unusual amount.

"Stay here," Peeta said, eyeing the crowd.

He slid on his sunglasses and opened his car door, flashes instantly going off like lightning.

So that was why he always wore sunglasses.

Slamming the door, he ran around to her side and opened the door for her, reaching over her to open his glove compartment, and pulling out a spare pair of sunglasses. "Put these on," he said quietly, his voice urgent.

Doing as he requested, Katniss slipped them on and went to get out, stopping when Peeta's hand was on her knee. She looked up at him, trying to ignore all the shouting around them and flashes. "Stay close to me and say nothing. Trust me."

"I do."

She caught the faintest of smiles on his face before they moved as a unit out of the car, slamming the door and Peeta clicked his key fob.

Haymitch was at the door, clearing a way for them, pushing past all the reporters as they shouted questions.

"Peeta! Who is this?"

"Is that the florist from next door?"

"We have seen you with a new mystery woman lately! Is this her?"

Katniss clung to Peeta, gripping his shirt tightly in her fist, staring down at the pavement and trying to remember how to walk as his arm tightened around her waist and his sheer proximity did funny things to her head.

Once they were inside Haymitch closed and locked the door. "What have you two love birds done?"

"We just had lunch!" They said in unison.

She turned to Peeta, pointing at the sunglasses. "By the way, can I keep these?"

Xxx

Lightning and flashes of light now filled her dreams.

She was starting to long for the days when it was merely fire and roses.

But that meant no Peeta, and that just wasn't worth it.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing! (Someone asked why I give the same author's note every time. Because I can and I always have the same thing to say.)_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

The media would not leave them alone.

Anytime Katniss went outside, anywhere from one to three or more news stations would be there, shouting questions, taking pictures.

Sunglasses had become her newest accessory, Peeta buying her about fifteen new pairs because he felt so bad about dragging her into this.

"Peeta, it's okay, really," she had said, laughing lightly when she saw the contents of the bag he had handed her.

"No, it's not. They are assholes, and you deserve some kind of privacy. Or, you know, to at least not be blinded whenever you step outside."

Their lunches had become a private, family affair, the four of them gathering in the back of the flower shop, triple checking to see that the front door was locked.

Haymitch insisted on being within ten feet of them at all times incase he needed to maim anyone. Prim sat in to help ease the tension sometimes, asking Peeta about his family, his childhood, things Katniss knew she should have already asked.

"I have two older brothers," Peeta said around a mouthful of sandwich, picking at the bread. "I'm the baby."

"Did they pick on you at all?"

"Well, we all were on the school wrestling team at one point or another so we had a few throw downs out of frustration at home." He looked up to Prim with a kind smile. "Did Katniss ever pick on you?"

"Never!" Katniss said, overlapping Prim's, "Always!"

They looked at one another.

"What did I do?" Katniss asked.

"Little Duck for one."

"Oh come on, you loved that."

"No, no I did not."

Katniss turned to her sandwich. "Dad did."

"Little duck?" Peeta asked softly, trying to change the subject.

"Prim never got her shirts tucked in all the way, and it looked like a tail in the back, so I called her that and it stuck."

Peeta chuckled.

"What else did I do?"

"Buttercup," Prim said without hesitation.

"Oh, he deserved it."

"Who's Buttercup?" Peeta looked between the two girls.

"Prim's cat," Katniss grumbled.

"She threatened to cook him once."

Peeta looked at Katniss, wide eyed.

She shrugged. "What? He never liked me much after I tried to drown him."

Peeta's eyes grew even wider and Haymitch chuckled.

"See? He agrees with me!"

Prim turned to Haymitch. "You knew Buttercup?"

"Munchkin, I gave Buttercup to your parents after the damned thing showed up on my doorstep. That thing is the cat from hell. Sweetheart and I agree, so it's two to one."

Prim sighed and held out her arm to Peeta. Anytime someone lost an argument, Peeta got to draw something on them with his sharpie.

"I really think I should be drawing on the winners, not the losers," he said, pointing the pen at Haymitch.

"Boy, don't touch me with that thing," Haymitch warned playfully.

Peeta turned to Katniss, who held up her hands in surrender. "I already got a nap today. No thank you."

Xxx

That night she had made a mad dash when the coast was clear into the tattoo shop.

She walked into Peeta's room, soaking wet from the rain. Of all the things that seemed to deter the media, rain did the trick. Lawsuits, restraining orders, you name it, they still came.

Peeta was just finishing up on a woman with short black hair, a single streak of it red, framing her face. When she looked up to Katniss, she was a little rattled. The woman seemed to have murder in her eyes, but something else, something kinder, underneath.

She had a story.

"Katniss, are you okay?" Peeta jumped up and rushed to her, placing his hand lightly on her arm, leaving behind what Katniss could only describe as a burn.

"It's raining out there," Katniss said, her voice breathy, whether from dodging the cameras or finding another human in here she couldn't decide.

"You don't say, Brainless," the woman mumbled, lowering her head once again into the little hole in the table.

Katniss noticed for the first time that the woman was shirtless.

"Come here," Peeta said softly. "I want you to see what I'm doing, since you always fall asleep." He grinned.

"Hey, Peet! Help a girl out here! I gotta get some beauty sleep!"

"Shut up, Jo. No amount of sleep will help you. So just chill."

The woman swatted behind her blindly. "Come here so I can hit you."

"Not a chance."

"That's what I thought," she mumbled, laughing lightly.

"Oh! By the way! Katniss, Jo. Jo, Katniss!" Peeta gestured to each with his hands, Jo raising a hand in a half hearted wave. "Jo is an old friend of mine. She's also a tattoo artist. She works over at that place on Seventh and District Square, 'The Ink Mill'."

Katniss nodded before she looked down at her back, gasping at the images.

This woman - Jo - was covered in tattoos. But her back was particularly void. Peeta was inking simple words on her back, from shoulder blade to shoulder blade.

"'Not all who wander are lost'," she mused with a smile. "You're a Tolkien fan?"

Jo's brazen voice was now a quiet, friendly tone. "Yeah. There is a lot of wisdom in those pages." Her voice grew even quieter. "My dad taught me that."

She didn't have to explain. Katniss knew that voice, the tensing of the muscles in her back, the quick swipe before the tears fall.

"Mine, too," she smiled, her voice matching Jo's. "Who were your favorites?"

"Now that is a nearly impossible question."

"Agreed." Katniss smiled, having found another kindred spirit. "I always loved the elves. Got me into archery years ago."

"You're an archer, too?" Peeta looked at her in awe.

She nodded as Jo piped back up, "I liked the dwarves. I guess because I am stubborn like them. But their axes are kick ass. I learned how to use them. Anytime we went camping, I was in charge of firewood."

"I used to love camping."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Silence hung in the room, filling the spaces between the bodies.

"Elves and dwarves hate each other," Katniss mused.

"No wonder I had the urge to call you brainless when you walked in."

They all laughed as Peeta went back to work.

Xxx

"Here, wear this. Your shirt is still soaked," Peeta said as he handed her a shirt of his.

Jo had left, making Katniss promise to give Peeta a hard time, flipping off the press as she got in her car and sped off.

The two of them were left to hide out in the back until the rain picked back up enough to give them an avenue of escape.

She nodded and thanked him, taking his shirt with shaking hands. It was colder than she realized.

Going into the adjacent room, she realized none of the rooms had doors, so leaving the lights off, she put her back to his room and lifted up her shirt, peeling it off as it clung to her skin.

She felt his eyes on her and chanced a glance over her shoulder, tiny as possible, smiling when she caught him staring at her back.

A blush made it's way over her cheeks when she realized her bra was soaked, too, and he had given her a white shirt.

Weighing her options she decided to go for broke and unclasped her bra, staring at the floor and trying not to laugh when Peeta made a grunting noise and tried to cover it with a cough.

She was quick to pull on the white shirt, holding her wet clothes in front of her as she walked back to his room.

As she handed the wet wad to him, she smiled when he looked everywhere but at her, his cheeks a bright red.

Quickly crossing her arms over her chest, she felt her heart skip a beat when he looked into her eyes.

"So, looks like we may be stuck here," she mused. "I have to be at work in five hours and they are relentless out there."

"I'm so sorry again."

"No, don't worry about it. What we need to worry about is somewhere to sleep here. I could use some beauty sleep myself."

"I'll get the ink ready."

She playfully slapped his arm and he laughed. "Okay, okay. Sorry."

"I probably won't sleep at all. I've been having nightmares."

"I'm sorry. What usually helps?"

"I call Prim. We talk until I fall asleep."

"Aw!" He backed away just in time to avoid another slap.

"I used to curl up with her when we shared a room. We were little, and she would have the worst nightmares. I'd hold her and sing."

"That's sweet."

He caught her hand as she went to slap his shoulder, holding her close. "I'm serious. Stop trying to push me away. I'm being sincere which goes against every bone in my sarcastic body so go with it."

She looked up into those eyes, so blue, so kind, no hint of a lie in them.

"You can sleep on my table. I'll go in the other room."

"Peeta?" She twisted her arm to grab his before he could walk away.

"Yeah?" His voice was quiet.

"Will you stay with me?"

She backed towards the table, pulling him along with her. When she felt it press against the back of her legs she stopped, watching as Peeta kept moving forward, scooping her up and setting her on the table.

Without missing a beat he hopped up beside her, pulling her into his chest as he laid back, holding her close.

Bending down to whisper in her ear, she felt him smile against her skin when she shivered at his breath on her neck.

"Duh."


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Katniss woke to blue eyes staring down at her, causing her to smile lazily and curl into the warm body next to her, mumbling a lazy, "Mmmm," followed by a yawn.

Taking in a deep breath before stretching she smelled pears, and ash, and cinnamon, and dill, and Peeta's cologne, and-

Oh God.

She stilled mid stretch, her eyes shooting open to be greeted with the same white T-shirt Peeta had worn the day before inches from her face.

Sitting up abruptly, she scowled, her mind racing back to the night before, trying to remember just how she ended up here, with Peeta, asleep on his tattoo chair, curled up with him - she checked all of her limbs for a new tattoo, scowling deeper when Peeta's laugh interrupted her search.

"No, I'm not that mean," he smirked. "No nightmares, I assume?"

She smiled absently at the realization. "No nightmares."

His cheeks were starting to flush, and she noticed he was staring into her eyes very intently.

She was still wearing his shirt. And no bra.

Quickly crossing her arms across her chest, she could only imagine the color her face took.

Was that relief on his face? She didn't know whether to be insulted or not at that.

"Good morning, Sunshine," he said, rising from the chair and walking towards the door. "I'll let you change. Oh. And by the way," he turned back to her, one hand braced against the door frame. "You drool."

Xxx

Peeta had called Jo and asked her to make some scene so Katniss could slip over to her shop.

The media was at the front and back door. Why they were such a commodity in a town surrounded by celebrities, she had no clue.

Jo had laughed diabolically before hanging up the phone.

Whatever she did worked. The vans cleared out like wildfire.

Katniss jogged over to the front door of her shop, relishing in the rare moment of freedom to walk through the front door.

Once inside, she did a walk of shame past Prim to the back. Despite his protests, she had not changed back, but worn his shirt out the door as he yelled, "This means war, flower girl!" to her back, making the moment that much better.

She always kept spare clothes in the back. Working with dirt and dyes and such, and as clumsy as she was, a new shirt was an almost daily thing.

Thoughts of the night before, the days before, the weeks before drifted into her mind as she changed.

What exactly were she and Peeta?

How had they gotten here?

Why hadn't they kissed since?

It bothered her to no end that the last one was the foremost in her mind.

Xxx

Prim brought up the plant book over lunch break. It was just the two of them today, sitting in the window of the shop, soles of their shoes touching the other's.

"Have you showed it to him yet?"

"Yet? No. Why would I?"

Prim shrugged. "I dunno. Just seems like something he would like."

"That's kind of personal, Prim. If I ever were to show that to him, I don't think we're there yet."

"Oh? Well then where are you?" Prim's smirk annoyed Katniss.

"Don't worry about it, Little Duck."

"I'm your sister. It's my job, Weeping Willow."

Katniss scowled. "What did you just call me?"

"A description of that face you are making."

"My face looks like a tree that wilts for a living?"

"When you make that face it does."

"And what is this face?"

"The face of, 'I know where I am, but I'm afraid to move forward'."

"Are you sure it's not just my annoyed face? Cause I'm feeling that pretty strongly."

Prim grinned. "I don't know. Could be. All of your faces are so similar. Maybe you're bursting at the seams with happiness but are too afraid to show it, so you're hiding."

"I'm pretty sure it's annoyed."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself. Not everyone can be as expressive as me."

Xxx

Katniss pulled the book out from under her bed after work, studying the pages, tracing them lightly with her fingers.

Her father's drawing along with her mother's handwriting, detailing all the different types of flowers and plants they had ever come across.

Her mother used to spend hours bent over it, writing down names on a separate sheet of paper for arrangements.

Prim was right. Peeta would love this.

She slipped it into a backpack and headed back to the shop.

When she got there, the lot was once again swarming with the vile people carrying cameras.

She saw Peeta interviewing at the end of the sidewalk, right in front of the tattoo shop, some celebrity on his arm, practically drooling as she looked at Peeta.

What the hell was going on?

Getting out of the car and pulling her hood down to cover part of her face, she threw the backpack over one shoulder, locked the car, and stalked toward the shop.

She knew Peeta saw her. He looked her right in the eyes, no sunglasses to hide behind as he interviewed, and that dimple appeared before he looked back at the camera, not missing a beat.

Grinning, she tried to sidestep the reporter behind the camera, but they wouldn't let her through. She tried to push past a few others, but no way was clear.

Finally she quietly said, "Excuse me," and tried to walk through, but the reporter didn't move an inch.

She simply looked at Katniss disgustedly before scoffing. "Yes, excuse you. I'm conducting an interview. Go ask for change somewhere else."

Katniss was thankful for the sunglasses she wore, hiding her wide eyes at the remark, feeling tears brimming unexpectedly.

Chancing a look at Peeta, he looked like he was about to explode.

To avoid further conflict, Katniss pushed through, jostling the reporter, making her lose her footing, nearly falling into the shot.

"Excuse you! Who do you think you are? Are you looking for a restraining order?"

Turning back to Peeta and Miss Googly Eyes, the reporter purposely bumped into her, causing her bag to slip off her shoulder and fall to the ground with a thud.

It was almost slow motion. All she had left in the world of that part of her life was falling, falling, speeding to the ground, the sound it made on impact a sickening thud.

The reporter scoffed. "Whoops. Sorry."

Without a second thought, Katniss screwed her face into her deepest scowl and punched the reporter right in the face.

"Whoops. Sorry," Katniss said sarcastically.

Silence hung in the air for the briefest of moments, the calm before the storm, before the thunder of questions, the lightning of flashes, the pouring rain of spittle from rabid reports came pouring down on her.

Scooping up the bag, she whipped her head from side to side, in search of rescue, her hood falling down, causing the roar to grow as they recognized her.

She looked around desperately, searching for that blonde hair, those giant aviators, the strong arms that shielded her from the storm.

_Where's Peeta?_

Xxx

After a few brief moments of confusion, Haymitch grabbed her forearm and pulled her into the shop, shouting obscenities at the paparazzi.

"He's in his room. Go!" Haymitch told her as he locked the door, flipping off the cameras and sticking his tongue out like a child. He was undoing his belt and muttering about a full moon that evening as Katniss started down the hall.

Peeta was on a stool, holding an ice pack to his eye, his knuckles starting to develop bruising.

"Peeta! What happened?"

He smiled, wincing slightly and grabbing his jaw. "She was just so damn rude. The camera man was about to punch you after you punched the reporter, so I stopped him. With my fists. Then he stopped his fists on my face."

Haymitch walked in zipping up his pants. "That outta give them enough for now." He grinned at Peeta who was shaking his head.

He turned to Katniss. "Saw you throw that punch out there, girl. And let me tell you something." He gave her a thumbs up, grinning madly. "Haymitch approves."


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing! (Someone asked why I give the same author's note every time. Because I can and I always have the same thing to say.)_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Once again they had to bunker down in the tattoo shop, Haymitch's "full moon" plan only making the media want more.

Katniss stood in the hall, arms crossed as she stared out the front door, watching the reporters lounge around. Some had even ordered pizza.

They were like caged animals, surrounded by the hounds.

"What was that interview about, anyway?" She asked Peeta as he swaggered up beside her.

"Oh, that actress, Delly Car-"

"Miss Googly Eyes?"

He laughed lightly. "Yeah. She got a tattoo for an upcoming part in a movie."

"Don't they usually use makeup for that?"

"Yeah. But she is using some method-crap acting, and wanted to feel 'real and uninhibited'."

Katniss pulled her lips into a thin line as she nodded, turning her head toward him. "So what was it? Something extravagant and meaningful?"

Peeta side eyed her. "I did it because I admired her dedication."

She grinned. "Butterflies on boobs?"

He hung his head. "Butterflies on boobs."

Haymitch's laugh rang out from some unknown location in the shop.

Xxx

After the fiasco the night before, Katniss had brought a bag full of overnight things to both shops.

When Peeta stepped out to double check all the locks, she changed into the shirt of his she had stolen - certain to wear a cami underneath this time - and a pair of comfy shorts.

Haymitch walked past the room, glancing in before continuing on, stopping, and backtracking. "Is that Peeta's shirt?"

Katniss nodded. "Yes."

"Does he know you have that shirt?"

"Yes, Haymitch. He watched me steal it."

Peeta appeared in the doorway, doing a double take, narrowing his eyes at Katniss.

"Did you know she had that shirt - not that I don't trust you, Katniss, but - did you know she has your shirt?"

"Yes," Peeta's jaw was clenched.

"Apparently it was a declaration of war," Katniss smirked.

Haymitch looked between the two a few times before pulling out his flask. "Well, been nice knowing you, Peet. You had a nice run. But that girl is going to be the death of you. I'll be sure to come and water your grave with whisky once a week."

Xxx

They fell asleep like the night before, Peeta seeming particularly protective.

Katniss woke after a few hours, her mouth parched. Rising from the chair gingerly, she walked silently into the little kitchen, stifling a laugh when she found Haymitch with his feet propped up on the table, flask in his hand, and jaw agape as he snored.

She was about to set the glass in the sink to rinse it when she heard her name from down the hall.

"Katniss?"

It was Peeta's voice. He called again, this time more frantic.

"Katniss?"

She raced down the hallway, a frantic, wide eyed Peeta sitting straight up on the chair, searching the room, scanning, as if still in search for her.

"Katniss!" This time he was nearly screaming, as if he had just witnessed something terrible.

She walked up to him slowly, gently touching his wrist, shushing him softly. He recoiled at first, but her second attempt made his eyes clear up.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said, finally really looking into her eyes, pulling her close.

"Shhhhh…. It was just a dream."

"I know." His voice was small.

"Want to talk about it?"

He pulled away just enough to look her in the eye. "Yes," he said, once again sounding small.

She hopped up beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as he stared at his hands in his lap.

"Well, uh, first of all, you will need a little backstory for this to make sense."

She nodded.

"My mom, well, uh, let's just say she's not the mom of the year. Remember when I came in limping?"

Katniss stomach knotted over again and again as she nodded, trying to swallow.

"Yeah. That was her."

Katniss inhaled sharply.

"I don't want to go into details, but it was bad. And, um," his voice started shaking, "after that whole run in with the reporter, I guess my mind just started turning that way, and one thing led to another-"

He took a deep breath. "I was in the bakery back home-"

"The bakery?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah, my parents own it. That is why I dabble." Katniss returned his small smile, nodding for him to continue.

"At first I couldn't see you, so I called for you. You didn't answer, so I kept walking around looking for you, when I heard my mother start yelling. So I called again, still no answer. Suddenly I heard sounds I know all too well and I knew you were in there, probably on the receiving end of a rolling pin, and that is when I called again."

He reached up, massaging his throat. "My throat hurts, so I assume I really was screaming."

Katniss found herself wiping away tears from her face as she nodded.

"Peeta, why was I at the bakery?"

He looked her right in the eye and grinned, a little more of her Peeta showing through.

"Because you're the kind of girl a guy wants to take home to meet his parents."

Katniss smiled. They were there. Whatever that magical "there" Prim had talked about, they had finally gotten there.

She held up a finger. "Hang on just a minute."

As she got down from the chair and went to her backpack, she heard Peeta huff and toss his hands up in the air, letting them fall down on his thighs with a slap. "Great. I scared you off."

When she turned around with the book in hand, she saw his smirk. "No, I just want to show you something." Sitting back beside him, she felt his eyes on her.

"Did you make us a scrapbook? Are you creepy?" He narrowed his eyebrows at her, squinting, his nose touching hers.

"I just might be," she countered, causing him the pull back slowly.

"H-H-Haymitch?" Peeta whispered, feigning fear. "Ow!" He laughed, grabbing his chest. "You just twisted my nipple!"

"Gee. Really? I had no idea." She laughed when his skeptical face came back. "Now shut up and pay attention to my story. I'm important."

She opened the book, noticing Peeta's intake of breath, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, and seeing awe.

Explaining each page to him, he was silent the whole time, his eyes riveted to every drawing, the scrolling font of her mother's writing, lightly tracing them with his fingers like she had.

"I wish I could have met them."

"You would have loved them," Katniss said, admiring the drawing of Irises to distract herself from tears. "You missed them by five years or so. I try not to remember."

_Seven_.

Peeta pulled her chin gently to face him, his blue eyes searching her grey ones.

"Katniss…. But our lives aren't just measured in years. They're measured in the lives of people we touch around us. And I already know, your parents touched so many lives with simple petals. A flower for a pissed off girlfriend. Those weddings would have been bland without bouquets. Funerals are a lot happier with flowers."

How did he always make her laugh?

"I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever. Yet, at the same time, I feel like that would be cheating myself of something."

"Here. Hang on. I know how you can temporarily freeze it forever."

"That's an oxymoron."

She reached over him to the little table beside him, grabbing his sharpie.

"Shut up and hold out your arm."

"Uh-uh. For all I know you could be a horrendous drawer."

She scowled and pointed down at the book. "My dad drew those. I inherited his singing. And his hair. And eyes. Have a little faith I inherited his steady hand."

"One can only hope," he said holding out his arm.

"Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. So you, my friend, are in luck."

On his wrist she simply put her initials.

"There. Now I'll be with you in your temporary freeze."

"Work on your puns, woman."

She swatted his arm and he grinned.

"Now give me your arm without the flowers."

Sighing she held out the arm with the birds, closing her eyes and snoring when she felt the sharpie touch her skin.

"I hate you," Peeta mumbled, making her laugh.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing! (Someone asked why I give the same author's note every time. Because I can and I always have the same thing to say.)_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Johanna came in the front door the next morning so Katniss could slip out the back and over into her shop.

Some of the reporters had been called away to cover 'real' news, and others had just given up, but several had decided to wait it out, and they were the ones that scared Katniss.

Peeta made it over a few hours later, take out in his hands for lunch.

"Why do you look so chipper?" Katniss narrowed her eyes at his overly happy smile. Was he bouncing on his toes?

"I got my first tattoo!"

Katniss' jaw gaped. "You mean you didn't already have any?"

"Nah. You know how fickle I am with what tattoos I give. How on earth would I ever decide what to get for myself?"

Katniss side eyed him.

"Did Johanna give you a butterfly on your peck?"

The sides of his eyes crinkled as he threw his head back and laughed. "No, no. This."

He pulled up his sleeve, revealing gauze over his wrist.

Katniss' breath hitched. "That's where I-" She looked down at the fresh sharpie still on her own wrist.

Peeling back the gauze, Peeta revealed her initials exactly as she had left them.

"Peeta, that is permanent."

"I know."

"It's not sharpie."

"Yes, I know."

"It won't wash off."

"You act like I don't know this."

She couldn't help but chuckle at his last statement, realizing how absurd her accusations were. "Why? Why me?"

His grin grew mischievous, and his eyes narrowed. "You really don't know, do you?"

She mimicked his face. "Know what?"

"That means you don't. The effect you have."

"Effect?" Katniss' voice was suddenly breathy.

"Yes. You have this…. This…. Spark, and it makes me want to be a better person. A better human, a better artist, better baker, better everything!"

Katniss stood there in silence.

"I even double knot my shoelaces now to make them that much more awesome."

She was still unmoving, but her voice came, small and feeble, tears threatening. "Are you sure you want to remember me forever?"

"Positive."

"I told you when I met you that no one really notices me."

"And I told you that I highly doubted that." He took a step closer.

"Peeta-"

"Katniss, you don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope."

She scowled inquisitively.

"When I woke up last night, frightened out of my mind, desperate for any way to help you, you were the first person I saw when I woke up."

There were those damn tears threatening again.

He took a step closer. "The first person I wanted to see."

Another step. "The one I was already looking for."

They were toe to toe, eyes never leaving the other, the invisible line tethering them together cinching tighter.

Gently, Katniss reached out and grabbed the Chinese takeout marked with a K.

"So what time can I come over to get frozen with you?"

Xxx

Peeta insisted on doing it himself.

And this time she stayed awake.

"You know, Johanna told me something really interesting today," he said while he worked on the tattoo.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"She said that as brainless as you are, you are a trooper for putting up with the paparazzi bull shit."

"High praise," Katniss smiled.

"She also asked if we were dating yet."

"Yet?"

He looked up at her. "Yet."

Katniss had a flash back to a movie Prim dragged her to, and the only word she could think was, "Smoulder", making her bite the inside of her cheek to not laugh.

He looked back at his work. "She also said I could live a hundred lifetimes and still not deserve someone like you."

"Damn straight."

Peeta chuckled and looked back up at her, turning off the equipment. "I know. And look at that! You stayed awake!"

She laughed as he placed the gauze over the new ink.

"I hope that I can find a way to live some of this lifetime with you, however deserving I may or may not be," he said quietly.

"I'll allow it."

He snapped his head up, looking straight into her eyes.

"Let's get out of here. Away for the weekend. Tonight."

Despite the urge to say no, she found herself saying, "Where?"

"I want you to meet my parents."

Xxx

They stood at the door of the shop several minutes later, Katniss already having her overnight bag ready.

Peeta held her hand. When she looked over at him, she saw him staring at their clasped hands, smiling like a school boy before he looked up at her.

"Whaddaya say? Wanna make a grand debut and give them what they want?"

She twisted her hand so their fingers intertwined, his eyes glinting with something as he stared down at them goofily.

"Let's give 'em hell."

He grinned as she gripped his hand tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when she would finally have to let go.

Xxx

Not much had happened. They told the press they were going away for the weekend, jumped in the car and sped off.

Then they were followed.

"What is the big deal, anyway? Why are they so interested in you, in me in…. Us?" Katniss ended quietly.

Peeta shrugged. "I don't know. I never really got it, either. Remember my smoking thing?"

She nodded, the faint memory of rose bushes and ashes coming to mind.

"It just quit working, that was why I was doing that interview last night. And I have no idea who even brought you to their attention."

Katniss pondered his words, looking at him as he stretched in his seat, looking in the the rearview mirror.

"Yep! Guess Haymitch had it right when he compared me to Michelangelo. They adore me."

He laughed when she rolled her eyes, and she was just about to bring up the rose bushes when Peeta focused on the road, grabbed the shifter and said quietly, "Hang on!"

Gripping the bars on the inside of the car gave her little security as she hung on through the speeding twists and turns, each swerve of the car pushing thoughts of rose bushes dither away, but bringing closer the image of death.

Satisfied, he finally slowed down and turned onto a country road, looking over at a green faced Katniss. "What? Don't tell me that was too much for you. You're covered in tattoos, you have got to be a badass."

She slowly turned her head to look at him, grinding her teeth as she scowled.

"Oh," Peeta said simply, quietly, slowly sinking in his seat.

His parent's house wasn't far after that, and when they got there, Peeta took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Hey, it'll be okay."

"How'd you know?" She asked, turning to face him.

"You were eyeing the house like it was a disease."

"Was not."

"You so were."

Damn him making her smile. "What are my odds of making it out of here unscathed?"

"Emotionally or physically?"

"I'll take what I can get."

He sucked air in through his teeth, grimacing. "Not good. They are not in your favor. Especially as long as you make that face."

He jumped out of the car before she could reach him and twist the other nipple or something.

When they reached the front door, her finger hovered over the doorbell.

Suddenly he pulled her close, their noses side by side, his lips barely dancing above hers, his eyes darting to her lips before looking back into her eyes as he grinned.

She tried to look down, but he held her chin up with his knuckle, gently holding her captive.

His breath was warm on her skin, causing her to shiver.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing."

Damn that grin.

Something in his eyes sparkled, twinkling as if the stars themselves had made them their home.

If she could remember how to breathe, she was sure his breath would smell like his infernal orange tic tacs.

"Katniss?" His lips brushed hers.

"Yes?"

"Your eyes are beautiful, did I ever tell you that?"

She laughed lightly and tried to pull back, but his finger under her chin pulled her closer still, much like the first time they had kissed.

"Remember, we're madly in love, so feel free to kiss my anytime."

"I'll think about it."

He chuckled.

"Remember, stay with me."

"Duh."

His smile turned bashful.

"Together?" He whispered.

She ran her hand up his arms and up across his neck, into his hair, smiling when his eyes fluttered ever so briefly. "Always."

She rose on her toes, closing the final inches between them, smiling against his soft lips.

Slowly she reached out and rang the doorbell.

He moaned in protest against her lips, pulling her closer gently, but gruffly.

"Well, don't stop on my account." She said, mumbling into his chin, feeling his body shake with laughter.

He pulled away, "I don't stop for anyone, sweetheart."

"Good to know."

The two of them sprung apart like lightning, facing the voice.

"Mom!"


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing! (Someone asked why I give the same author's note every time. Because I can and I always have the same thing to say.)_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Katniss' fist curled into a ball at the sight of the woman, remembering Peeta's nightmare, but soon his hand found hers, almost on instinct, giving her a little squeeze before she slowly unfurled her fingers to intertwine with his.

_Fire beats roses. Again_.

"Mom, this is my, uh…. Friend, Katniss." Peeta smiled politely as if nothing was wrong between the woman he spoke to and himself. Only his slight flinch at the sound of her voice as she greeted Katniss curtly gave him away.

"Nice to meet you, Katniss." The woman held her chin up high. "What an unusual name. Were your parents by chance at Woodstock?"

"Noreen!" A deep voice bellowed from around the corner, followed by heavy foot falls, much like Peeta's. "That was extremely impolite!" The woman simply scoffed, stepping to the side slightly to make space for the man.

He was almost a carbon copy of Peeta, give or take a few years. Okay. Decades. He had laugh lines and freckles, dimples that looked like canyons, and his shoulders nearly filled the doorway. "I'm so sorry, Katniss, isn't it?" He smiled when Katniss nodded. "I think it is a beautiful name," he looked at the woman pointedly who huffed and turned away, disappearing into the house.

"I'm Declan, Peeta's father."

"Nice to meet you- Oh!" Katniss went stiff as a friendly handshake turned into a giant hug. As she relaxed into it, even returning it a little, she smiled as she realized where Peeta had learned it from.

"Sorry. I'm a hugger." The man pulled away, blushing.

"Don't worry," Katniss waved him off, turning to Peeta with a smile. "I'm used to it."

Xxx

Peeta's brothers may have been older than him, but they sure acted like five year olds when they saw Katniss.

"Is that my little bro I hear?" A voice called down the stairs, followed shortly by another Peeta replica, elephanting his way down the stairs, stopping short when he saw Katniss, staring.

"I'm coming!" Another voice called, soon revealing Peeta copy number three, stopping short just behind the first one, staring at Katniss, slack jawed.

"Who are you?" The first one said.

He looked to be the younger of the two, so Katniss scoured her mind for names Peeta had given her.

Sauntering over with her hand held out, she stifled a laugh when the man returned the shake limply. "Hi, you must be Rye. I'm Katniss."

"You know my name?" He sounded speechless, dreamy, like something out of a 90's movie.

Turning to the other, she held out her hand, ignoring the chuckle from Declan behind her. "You must be Benjamin. Katniss." He shook her hand a little more firmly, holding his other hand beside his mouth in a mock whisper to Peeta, "She's pretty."

Katniss backed up, finding Peeta's arm around her waist protectively.

"Welcome to the testosterone household," he muttered, making her cover a laugh with a cough.

Rye still stood on the step, arm outstretched as he stared at Katniss. "Who are you?"

Xxx

Dinner went anything but smoothly.

It started when Peeta helped Katniss take her coat off, revealing her tattoos.

Peeta's mother scoffed, mumbling something about the 'tramp stamped vixen' he had brought into their home as she set the table.

Peeta looked ready to burst, but Katniss lightly placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to visibly relax.

"Sticks and stones," she muttered.

"Don't tempt her," he countered as he glared at his mother.

Then Peeta removed his own coat, revealing his fresh tattoo, which earned him a pat on the back from both of his brothers, his father simply smiling as he watched the boys. But his mother's eyes widened, her lips drawing into a thin line before she turned toward the kitchen.

They held their wrists side by side, explaining the story when a dish broke in the kitchen. "Sorry!" Noreen called out, normal kitchen sounds resuming.

Peeta had visibly stiffened, along with the other three Mellark men as he explained her other tattoos to them.

Suddenly multiple dishes crashing was heard, followed by, "Oh, I'm such a klutz."

Peeta once again looked ready to burst as Katniss turned toward the kitchen. "I'll help clean."

"Katniss-" Peeta tried after her, stopping short when she spun around with her shoulders squared. "There's no more sticks or stones."

"I'm coming with you." She was about to refuse but thought better of it, remembering his nightmare was about her and his mother alone in a kitchen.

Wordlessly, Katniss took the broom Peeta held out to her as he kneeled with the dust pan, picking up the larger pieces.

His mother muttered something about being used to cleaning up after people, and other nonsense only meant to hurt.

Peeta was about to rise from the floor. "Mother-"

"No, Peeta. It's okay. She can't hurt me."

Two sets of Mellark eyes were on her, and she felt three pairs of ears listening not too far away.

"What? Say whatever you want, I won't let it bother me."

Peeta's mother eyed Katniss skeptically.

"Want to mock my hair? Go ahead. I only ever wear two styles. My makeup? 'Too much mascara', 'too much lipstick', 'too much eyeliner'? That would be a compliment because I don't wear any. My tattoos? Now that would be too much for me, because you know your own son did them, and if you dare insult that, I will not hesitate. Go ask the reporter from channel nine."

The silence was deafening. A pin could drop and sound like a grenade. It all broke down when Rye whispered in the living room, "That was so hot."

Xxx

Somehow her parents were brought up over dinner, to which Katniss responded with the story of their accident.

"Oh. Well too bad they can't see you now. Do you think they would approve of you becoming an inked assaulter?" Noreen pushed food around on her plate, staring at it as she spoke.

All the Mellark men glared at the woman, but didn't dare to open their mouths. Another battle for another day. No bloodshed needed to be had tonight.

"I think they would be proud of me for being myself. Inked or not. And for throwing the first punch."

Peeta grabbed her hand under the table with a smirk when Rye whispered, "I want one."

Xxx

A fit was had about sleeping arrangements, his mother, of course, coming up with all kinds of reasons for them, or at least her, to not stay there. Peeta ended up giving Katniss his old room, saying he would take the couch, eyeing his mother as his father softly told her no, to drop it, and pulled her into their room with one last sympathetic look at Peeta before closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Several hours into the night, Peeta woke to Katniss creaking down the steps, a blanket trailing after her like a train or a cape.

Cape. Definitely a cape.

He smiled. "Hey. What's up, Super Hero?"

"Ha-Ha," she said dryly, pulling the blanket closer.

"Nightmares?" He questioned.

She tucked her chin into the blanket and nodded, small and pitiful.

"Come 'ere," he held open the blanket he was under for her.

Without hesitation she climbed in beside him, holding him close.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked, stroking her hair.

"No."

Peeta simply nodded.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

"What about my mom?"

Burrowing further into him and closing her eyes, Katniss sighed. "Let her see us cuddling on the couch. Just about the least scandalous thing a person can do."

"Since when did you get so sassy?"

"When I walked in that door."

Peeta scoffed. "Oh, and by the way, puppies. Puppies are the least scandalous."

After a moment they both started laughing softly.

"You are being ridiculous."

Xxx

Katniss woke to bright sunlight on an unfamiliar ceiling. She stiffened and was about to sit upright when Peeta shushed her, patting her arm, reminding her of where she was.

"Good morning," he said smiling lazily.

"Good morning," she mirrored him.

"No more nightmares?"

"No more nightmares."

Katniss rolled onto her side and burrowed closer to Peeta, her back against his warm chest, their legs nearly winding together, their- Oh god.

"Peeta?"

"Yeah?" His voice sounded almost strangled.

"Are you just really happy to see me, or are you thinking about those puppies again?"

A moment of tense silence hung in the air before they both started laughing again.

She rolled over onto her back, laughing at the look on Peeta's face.

"Well don't be so relieved," she mocked.

He could only blush.

"Hey, Peeta?"

"Yeah?"

"Yesterday you introduced me as your friend."

Peeta drug a hand down his face. "Oh, boy. I knew this was coming."

"What? What was coming?"

"This talk." He rubbed his neck in the way he did when he was embarrassed.

"I-" he began. "I just-"

"Peeta, I just want to know what we are. I don't even know myself. It's like we're in some weird limbo."

"Exactly!" He said exasperatedly, almost relieved.

"So. Do we choose a definition, or enjoy our limbo until we figure it out?"

"Limbo. I definitely vote for limbo."

Katniss jaw dropped.

"What? You asked. Crap. Now I-"

She stopped his words with a kiss.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: I wanted to issue a little trigger warning for canon Mrs. Mellark in this chapter. I don't want to spoil anything, but, if you know Mrs. Mellark canocally, (Did I just invent a word?) then you know what to expect._

_And I just want to say - Thank you. The response to this story is completely unexpected, and every review, every follow, every like has me smiling. _

_Anyway. Back to my typical announcement._

_Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing! (Someone asked why I give the same author's note every time. Because I can and I always have the same thing to say.)_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

The world stopped. Nothing else mattered but this.

Limbo be damned. Right here and now, kissing Peeta Mellark was all she cared about. The world could be ending, zombies knocking down the front door and werewolves scratching at the back, and none of it would stop this moment.

Lost in their own little universe, drinking in the smell of each other, lingering in the taste of the other's lips, shuddering at the feel of fingers raking through hair, pushing, pulling, dragging the other closer, until no room was left.

She forced her eyes open for the briefest of moments, catching the fluttering of those long blonde eyelashes she had come to know so well, before they opened lazily to reveal the two little patches of sky looking down at her. She felt his lips turn up into a smile, her own following suit, and kissed him even harder to swallow the chuckle he let loose.

The creaking of the steps went unnoticed until a voice directly beside them caused them to separate like opposing magnets.

"Hi." Looking up simultaneously they found Rye grinning madly at them, crouched beside the couch so that his chin rested on the arm, making it look like a floating head.

Katniss wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her face feeling hot, and rose to a seated position, eyeing Rye.

Peeta made no effort to move, reaching his hand up and smacking his brother dead on the cheek.

The sound made Katniss cringe, but the screwed up face of shock Rye wore made her smile.

"Ow," he squeaked quietly, scrunching his eyes shut. "Point taken."

Xxx

Rye cooked bacon and eggs while Peeta taught Katniss how to make biscuits from scratch, rolling his eyes as they ended up getting more flour on themselves than on the counter.

He leaned against the counter in his robe, eating a piece of bacon with a smirk as he watched Peeta stand behind Katniss, helping her make little balls with the dough, rubbing the back of his neck when she laughed, spreading flour into his hair.

"Aw, aren't you two adorable," he said smugly, his chewing slowly coming to a halt as their heads slowly swiveled to face him. "Oh shit."

Suddenly he was being pelted by puffs of flour "Why you little-" his jaw hung slack when Katniss snatched a piece of bacon. "Oh hell no!"

The kitchen was a war zone, flour covering every surface, lumps of dough flying, scrambled eggs plopping, the plate of bacon heavily guarded in Rye's arms.

A smashing sound caused them all to still. Slowly they all looked up through the settling haze to find Mrs. Mellark in the doorway, her face screwed up into an angry pucker. She was holding flowers in her hand, water dripping from the ends. Her knuckles were turning white around the stems, choking them. The vase they had occupied shattered around her feet, a pool of water stretching out across the floor, running from her.

"I'm sorry, mom. It's my fault," Rye rose to his feet, setting the bacon down on the island he had hid behind. "I dared them to arm wrestle, and when they said no I threw some flour in their faces, and I guess it got a little out of hand."

Mr. Mellark appeared behind his wife, a smile starting up his face at the sight of the kitchen, only to fade when he saw the broken glass at his wife's feet.

"Boys, Katniss, you know food is made in a pan, not the kitchen floor," he said trying to lighten the mood. "I'll help you clean."

"Get out." All eyes turned to Mrs. Mellark. When silence followed, she repeated herself, hissing out the words. "Get. Out."

Peeta grabbed Katniss' hand and headed for the back door, stopping at the sound of his mother's voice. "Not you. Only her."

Peeta whispered to Katniss, "Go, please. Stay outside, call the police, then call Haymitch and tell him to come. Call Jo, too."

"I'm not leaving you," she said as quietly as she could, her fist tightening in anger, fearful tears threatening to fall.

"Katniss. Go." He pushed her gently to the door, a last glance over her shoulder revealed nothing but a door slammed in her face.

Gathering her bearings, she took a moment to process what had just happened, fumbling for her phone, remembering his instructions. First she called the police to report a domestic dispute, then Haymitch, who told her not to worry about Jo - He'd call her and pick her up on his way there. "Just stay put, turn your phone recorder on if things get loud, and stay alive."

His last words were meant as a joke, but they had a sad truth hidden behind them.

"I should have never left him, Haymitch." Dammit, she was going to cry.

His voice was compassionate, almost fatherly. "Darlin', you did the right thing. Now I'll take care of Jo. Stay there and stay away from the madness. But keep that mean right hook of yours ready."

Xxx

Katniss was pacing around the outside of the house, cringing at the sound of crashing, the thumping of bodies hitting the floor, sounding like cannons.

So this is why Haymitch said to stay alive.

When news vans started pulling up she knew why he and Jo were on their way at all.

She rushed into the house, a picture of her the last thing she wanted right now.

She walked in to find Rye and Benjamin on the floor, Rye clutching his stomach, Benjamin grabbing his rib cage. Turning to the side she saw Peeta's father restraining his mother as she rabidly spit profanities, her eyes wild. He looked over his wife's shoulder at Katniss, his lips pulled into a tight line, his eyes apologizing silently, sadly as blood ran down from his nose.

_Where's Peeta_?

"Peeta?" She called tentatively.

She saw him crouched against the island, his back to the wood as he held his knees to his chest, his face tucked between his arms, rocking back and forth, his shoulders shaking lightly from tears.

She approached him slowly, making sure Mrs. Mellark was secure. Kneeling in front of him she said his name tentatively. "Peeta?" He stiffened, the rocking and shaking stilling eerily fast.

Reaching out, she tentatively touched his shoulder, leaping back when his head shot up, his eyes frantic and blood shot, his face red in anger. She cringed at the yellow and purple bruising developing around one of his eyes, and on his jaw. His forearms showed the same marks, obviously from a defensive position.

He studied her as if in a fog, narrowing his eyes.

"There are news vans out front," she said quietly, never looking away. Pointing in the general direction she came from, she stilled when Peeta flinched at the movement. Lowering her hand slowly, he stared at it as it fell, fear and anger in his eyes.

She barely registered Haymitch and Jo walking in swiftly behind her, Haymitch going straight for Mrs. Mellark to help restrain her, Jo going to attend to Peeta's brothers.

The sound of a skirmish, a fist making impact on flesh with a sickening thud, and Haymitch swearing under his breath before proclaiming in a snarky voice, "That's okay, Noreen. I needed another nose job. The last one you gave me just didn't heal quite right."

Peeta flinched when his mother's shouting escalated once more, shutting his eyes tight as the profanities rose before finally dying away down the hall, a door slamming making him jump.

Slowly moving forward and kneeling in front of him, Katniss gently cupped his cheeks in her hands, holding him in place when he tried to pull back, his eyes frantic. "Don't leave me." His gaze seemed to spark, looking from her hands to her face, and back again. "Don't let her- don't let this take you away from me." Leaning in she did the only thing she could think of, pressing her lips against his.

A moment of panic as she watched his eyes fog over again before sparking once more, and finally clearing, looking into her own, both sets brimming with tears.

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away," he mumbled against her lips.

"What about mutant monkeys?" She smirked.

She smiled at the skeptical look he gave her. "Remember when I asked you if you were weird?"

"Remember when I said no?" She responded smugly.

"I'm beginning to doubt that." His voice was light, but was only a mask for the pain of his current state.

She fell into his arms, crying as he held her close. The weight of the situation finally settling into her very bones. It was heavy, like carrying around another body. She ached, like she had been in Rye or Benjamin's place. Peeta's rumbling voice beneath her ear calling her name caused her to look up

"What?" She asked, lightly placing a hand on his shoulder, his flinch not going unnoticed.

"Stay with me," he asked, his voice a broken whisper, looking at the space beside her head before looking at her.

His breathing got shallow, and it looked like he was starting to panic when she didn't answer right away.

Leaning back down into his arms, she pressed her face into the crook of his neck. "Mutant monkeys couldn't keep me away." She muttered the words into his shoulder, feeling them vibrate around his skin, echoing off his ribs, as if they were his oxygen.

Looking back up to see his face still panic stricken, she whispered, "Together? Always? Remember all that?"

He pulled her down, encasing her in a bone crushing embrace. She smiled, settling back into his chest as he kissed her forehead and spoke so softly, she thought she'd imagined it. "Duh."


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: __I just want to say - Thank you. The response to this story is completely unexpected, and every review, every follow, every like has me smiling. _

_Anyway. Back to my typical announcement._

_Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing! (Someone asked why I give the same author's note every time. Because I can and I always have the same thing to say.)_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.]_

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

Safe in his arms, Katniss wanted to let the world fall away. Fading like the sun in the sky. But that dream was all but torn to pieces with the sounds of sirens fast approaching.

Hushed whispers of the paparazzi outside bled through, muffled and vicious. Johanna was quick to her feet, walking to all the windows and shutting the blinds with a snap. One camera caught her, a brilliant photo of her middle finger all they captured before the room went dark as she let the last blind slam down.

All three Mellark boys jumped at the sound, Peeta's arms clinging ever tighter around Katniss. Johanna cringed, apologizing profusely in her dry tone, yet somehow softer, as she slowly moved back to Peeta's brothers.

Katniss let her eyes adjust, the only light now in the room filtered sunset coming through tiny cracks in the blinds.

Benjamin met Katniss' gaze as she rested her head on Peeta's shoulder, her cheek pressed against his shirt. He smiled at her before it quickly faded to a wince. "Welcome to the family," he mumbled, a soft chuckle going around the room.

A moment of silence hung in the air before she spoke quietly. "How did she- I mean- I don't want to bring it up, but- never mind." She turned her face, pressing her lips firmly into Peeta's shirt in an attempt to silence herself.

"How did that Velociraptor take down a herd of Brontosaurus'?" Rye asked wanly, his usual effervescent sarcasm now a dull undertone.

Katniss only turned her eyes to him, nodding a small confirmation into Peeta's shoulder, her gut twisting at the way Rye looked at the floor, chuckling darkly before he met her gaze again, his eyes hollow. "We protect each other."

"It's what we do," Ben added.

Katniss glanced at Johanna who, despite her smirk, had a look of fondness in her eyes. Pulling away slowly, and looking at Peeta, she saw a glimpse of her old Peeta, the one she came here with, shining through the battered shell he wore.

"Duh," he whispered, that grin slowly forming on his face, his eyes answering her silent question.

_Protect each other_. She buried her face in his shoulder once again, this time hiding her smile. She could live with that.

Turning back to Johanna when she let out a snort, Katniss smiled at the sparkle in her friend's eye, the upward twitch of her lips as she spoke. "Welcome to the family….. Brainless."

Xxx

Katniss sat beside Peeta at the kitchen table, holding his hand as he gave his statement to a police officer.

His name tag read 'Gale', and he was pretty much the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. If the situation weren't so dire, Katniss might interpret Peeta's body language as slightly…. Possessive? No. That wasn't like him. Protective.

Normally that would irk her. She didn't need protecting. But given what she just learned about Peeta wanting to protect his loved ones, it made her feel warm and fuzzy.

_Loved_. She looked at Peeta as he took a shuddering breath, searching the ceiling as if it held the answer. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she smiled when he looked at her, his own shaky grin trying to anchor to his dimple. _She was one of the ones Peeta loved_.

Apparently this had happened before, and the police were practically on constant standby for the Mellark family.

Haymitch was sitting on the island in the kitchen, grumbling at the medic who was stuffing his nose full of gauze, and setting it in a cast. "Can I request what kind of nose I want? Make me look like someone famous. While you're at it, can you do something about these crows feet?" He pointed to his eye, the medic rolling her eyes, obviously knowing to ignore him.

Johanna walked past him and slapped him on the back of the head, making him duck, grab the point of impact before muttered a quiet, "Ow!" But after that he was silent.

Johanna kept making the rounds, checking on everyone, seeing if they needed water or tissues or food. She was acting like a mama hen, tending to her nest. Katniss didn't miss the way she stared a little longer at Gale, or the way her hand trailed up his arm subtly, slowly as she walked away.

As Haymitch had explained it to Katniss, the paparazzi had police scanners, ever on the search for dirt. And in this area, because of Peeta's celebrity status, and the likelihood of a family feud, they swarmed at the news. Things had been quiet until lately. His 'sources', of which there were apparently many, told him someone had leaked the fact that Peeta and Katniss had been growing closer. And given his past as a public figure, then ignoring the media and basically giving them nothing to go on for months, they leapt at the chance to chase 'bad boy Mellark' and his new 'arm candy'.

Mrs. Mellark had been taken out to a police car upon arrival, and taken to the station. They would all go down and see her at some point, but there was no hurry. No one was going to post her bail.

Mr. Mellark sat hunched over at the bar between the kitchen and living room, his head in his hands. Katniss wanted to go over and pat him on the back, or something, but when she tried to rise from the chair, Peeta followed her gaze, and quickly turned back to her, shaking his head and pulling her back down. A quick look at Johanna confirmed she needed to stay where she was.

Xxx

She sat on the couch with Peeta, leaning into his side, his arm wrapped around her, and her feet tucked under her.

He slowly raked his thumb up and down her bicep, giving her goosebumps, as he stared straight in front of him, deep in his thoughts.

"Katniss," he finally said, startling her. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I'm sorry I dragged you into this paparazzi nightmare. I just…. I'm sorry."

He finally looked at her, his jaw clenched, searching her eyes for forgiveness.

"You had nothing to do with any of that."

"Ugh!" He let his head fall to her shoulder, his forehead hitting her with a thump.

After a moment, Katniss spoke hesitantly. "Peeta?" Her voice was small.

"Yeah?" He spoke into her hair, causing it to tickle her neck.

She took a deep breath. "I know this is a horrible time to say this, but if I don't do this now, I know I never will."

"What?" He asked, still into her hair, slowly rubbing her upper arm again.

"I don't want limbo." She forced the words into the open room, feeling them echo as his thumb stilled, his breathing stopping momentarily.

His breathing returned, shallow and ragged, breathless even, and he spoke haltingly. "Are you saying that in a 'let's just be friends' way, or a 'how low can you go' kinda way?"

She knit her eyebrows together incredulously as he raised his head to look at her with that grin. "I will not dignify that with an answer."

"You don't need to." He spoke softly, lifting her chin up, brushing his lips against hers. "Together? Always? Remember all that?"

She attempted to scowl at him. "You have a remarkable memory."

The smile finally winning, she leaned back into his side as he kissed her temple and spoke so softly, she thought she'd imagined it. "Duh."


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_I know I have been updating fast, but after this, it'll be a little bit before I can get back to it. (And I will. This story is far from over.) [I'm just going to say this, even though this story keeps coming back. Okay. I tried. I really tried.] I do not own The Hunger Games or it's characters._

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

X-X-X

They all sat around the living room that night, talking, avoiding the elephant in the room that had destroyed the kitchen.

Haymitch sat beside Mr. Mellark, a hand on his back, providing some humor as the group discussed his nose, and he would retort with something snarky made all the funnier by the wads of cotton still in his nose.

Prim had come, doing a double take at Officer Gale after he ushered her in, keeping the cameras away. Johanna was quick to swoop in, removing the small blonde from his arm, replacing it with her own and whispering in Prim's ear, causing her to giggle before glancing at Gale a final time as the two watched the man return to his car through the little window at the top of the door.

Prim's breath fogged the glass as she spoke, standing in her tip toes to see out the small opening. "Well, if you don't get to see him that much…. You know what they say. 'Hate to say goodbye, but love to watch you leave.'"

Peeta lay stretched across the couch, his head in Katniss' lap as she played with his hair gently, rubbing small, soothing circles around his scalp. He smiled up at her, small and tired, but every bit the Peeta she had come here with, and the sight made her own smile return.

"So, Katniss," Johanna spoke softly, breaking the long silence that had taken over the room. Katniss looked up, catching the smirk sent her way. "Peeta tells me you sing?"

A quick glance back down showed a blushing Peeta looking sheepishly back up at her. "I may have mentioned something…." His tone sounded apologetic, but something in his gaze told her he was just as eager to hear her sing as the rest of the curious eyes she felt resting on her.

She looked back up to Johanna. "Yeah. It's something I got from my dad."

"Little darlin' here sounds prettier than a rock star," Haymitch said, adding extra twang to his voice, embracing his situation.

Katniss scoffed, snorting out a laugh at his ridiculous choice of words. "I hate to sing alone. Prim? Wanna help me out?" She looked across the room to where her sister sat beside Rye, playing naïve to his googly eyes as he stared at her.

"You sing, too?" Ben asked from his place beside Johanna. Something about singing and the Mellark men equalled magic. It was like a kid at Christmas every time, and the Everdeen's were the equivalent of Santa Claus.

"Not like Katniss," Prim grinned across the room at her sister. The pride in her voice made Katniss blush. "She makes the birds stop and listen."

"It's true. We tested it," Peeta agreed, holding up a hand to get people's attention, and twisting his head to survey the room.

Slowly taking his hand in hers, Katniss lowered it down to his side as everyone laughed gently.

"I would love to hear a song, Katniss." Mr. Mellark spoke so softly it almost went unnoticed. If she was going to back out, one look up and the sadness in his eyes, despite the smile on his face, was all Katniss needed to forget her own insecurities.

"Prim? How about the lullaby?" It was more of a confirmation than a question.

"The one about the meadow?" The hitch in her sister's voice made Katniss' stomach clench.

"Yeah." She smiled softly, an unspoken sadness for another time between them. "I'll do the first verse, you take the second, and we can sing the choruses together." Prim nodded, and Katniss cleared her throat, looking down at Peeta as she began.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when you awake, the sun will rise._

Although it had been her idea, Prim joining with her startled her for just a moment, her voice catching in her throat. Looking up, meeting her sister's teary eyes with her own, their voices harmonized until the last line that they sang in unison, just like their parent's had.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

Looking around the room as Prim sang the next verse, Katniss saw not a single eye was dry. Even Johanna was misty eyed, cocking an eyebrow in challenge when she caught Katniss smiling softly at her wiping the tears away from her cheek. Staring forward into the room, Jo's eyes glazed over, and a faint smile appeared as a memory of her own father played to the tune Prim sang.

Haymitch looked up at the ceiling briefly, muttering incoherently before hiding a smile with his hand, covertly wiping at tears, and rubbing the back of his hand under his nose before grimacing in pain. Catching Katniss' eye, he grunted softly in mock annoyance, throwing a smile her way and a wink.

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray,  
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

Katniss swatted at tears quickly, knowing she had to sing soon, trying to steel her quivering voice box when Peeta's hand softly cupped one of her cheeks. Through bleary eyes she saw him smiling up at her, rubbing the tears away with the pad of his thumb, smearing them like war paint on her cheeks. In a way, it was a battle, every day fighting back monsters, trying to stay alive in this mess of a life she had been given. But Peeta made it all so easy.

The thought of grieving long gone before she met him, she had suppressed so much, she was a walking time bomb with a faulty detonator. Then he showed up, pulled the pin, and leapt over her as she exploded, taking all her bottled up pain and carrying it with what she now knew was his own heavy load.

Despite everything he had been through, he was still willing to carry her world, carry her through the ashes left from her explosion, safely to the other side. And now, she could look back at that part of her life, the part that once only held pain and suffering, and see the good, see the hope that each new day would bring.

He reminded her on hard days, days she just wanted to close the shop and go hide in her closet at home that she had to _live_. She had to fight. Because if she lost, if she refused to fight and see another day, to live her life free of the shadows, free from the bump in the night, she was giving up more than just her demons. She was giving up her life.

The closet was her form of solitude, the closest she could come, because as much as she looked forward to her death, to ending the pain, she also feared it. But why? What did she have to lose besides her pain? Her _life_. And by refusing to live, the demons win, so why the hell not put up a fight, drag them down with her, kicking and screaming for the rest of her days. Make them as miserable as they made her. By _living_. Each day, laugh, smile, say hello, and make her miseries miserable.

She smiled at Peeta. This man meant so much to her in so little time, it almost frightened her.

But as she sang the last verse with her sister, she cupped his face in her hand, mirroring him. Her initials on his wrist and his on her's came into focus, and suddenly they were the only two alive. Nothing mattered more than letting this person who made every day worth living know that he did so. That every day, every place, every moment, was the place where she loved him.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

X-X-X

It was going on midnight, and Peeta was antsy. "I have to get out of here, Katniss. I need a break from…. This." He gestured to the house.

"Why don't we go back to your shop. I think I want another tattoo."

Peeta narrowed his eyes at her. "Another one? You're going to look like Johanna soon."

"Heard that!" Johanna called from somewhere in the house.

"You were meant to!" Peeta called back, grinning when they heard Haymitch guffaw from another unknown location.

She peeked out the window. "The paparazzi are mostly gone. We could get there with minimal casualties, I think."

"On their side or ours?" Peeta asked hesitantly.

"They know I can punch. I think they will leave me alone."

X-X-X

Once back at the shop, they were surprised no one had followed them.

Peeta did a sweep of the building to make sure no one had hidden a camera or something before coming back to his room, wrapping his arms around Katniss' chest from behind as she looked at the designs on the wall.

She leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Don't fall asleep on me yet! We haven't even talked about what you want," he chuckled, dusting her neck with kisses. He moaned gently against her skin before whispering, "You don't know how good it feels to just be able to do this."

"I think I have an idea," she said softly, opening her eyes as she smiled coyly. Reaching a hand up to tangle in his curls, she closed the distance between them, firmly pressing her lips to his.

It started slow, like every kiss before. She turned slowly in his arms to face him, pulling away for air. "Peeta. Breathe."

He blinked at her a few times, his breathing shallow. "Wasn't I?"

She laughed and pulled him flush against her, snaking her arms around his neck. "No. Now keep me awake so we can talk about this tattoo thing."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Peeta sounded like a baby bird, unaware of his wings, who just learned he had to fly.

"Well, we can start here," she said quietly, rising on her tip toes to kiss him once again. She watched as Peeta's eyes fluttered before suddenly shooting open, changing to a deep blue. He pulled back with a gasp, staring at her for a moment before scooping her into his arms and carrying her over to one of the cots they had set for paparazzi evasion nights.

He kissed her, this time completely aware of what he was doing, leaving Katniss the one gasping for air. He set her down on the cot and knelt in front of her before giving her one more quick kiss. It was like a drug. They couldn't stop.

"Katniss, if we don't stop soon or at least set up boundaries, I don't know-"

"Peeta." She held a finger to his lips, silencing his nervous chatter. "It's okay."

"It's only been a few hours officially." He spoke against the finger she still held to his lips.

"But how long have we been dancing around this?" She stared at him, watching the wheels turn in his head. "Around us."

"But everything this weekend- it was all just terrible-"

"Does the finger on your lips mean nothing to you?" She chuckled, pulling it back as he kissed the pad. "Yes. This weekend wasn't perfect. So help me forget. Let me help you forget." She pulled him back in, kissing him gently.

She pulled him down so they lay on their sides, facing one another, their noses touching.

"Are you sure?" He whispered. She could tell he wanted this, too, but he was still protecting her. "After this we can't go back."

"And why in the hell would I ever want to go back to a time without you?" The smile he gave her cemented her decision. She felt his smile as he kissed her.

"Well, then, by all means, if your mind is made up. I know mine was from the moment I met you. So…. Don't stop on my account." That grin. That damn cocky grin.

"I don't stop for anyone, sweetheart."

Peeta grimaced.

"What?" Katniss asked, a bit perturbed.

"Can you not bring Haymitch into this situation, please?"

Katniss began to laugh, a deep belly laugh, screwing her face up as she realized the implications, squealing as Peeta rolled them over, her chuckles dying into the kiss he had her in, pulling away for only a moment, looking up into those blue eyes. He seemed to be asking permission one last time.

"Duh."


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Don't worry. There is still more to come. Just a fluffy little chapter full of set up for what's to come. _

_Thank you to my wonderful beta, papofglencoe!_

_I have to say - Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_Thank you so much for all your feedback! It really keeps me going. _

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

The next morning, Katniss woke to a foreign, repetitive feeling on her head. Trying to keep her breathing level and her eyes still closed, she focused on the sensation. It felt like the pad of a thumb raking across her temple slowly, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth….

"Mmmmm," she hummed at the sensation, going rigid once she realized she had given away that she was awake.

A raspy chuckle heavy with sleep bubbled beside her, buzzing around inside a warm chest pressed against her shoulder. "It's okay, Katniss. You've fallen asleep on me - no pun intended - enough times for me to know when you are faking."

Scowling, she opened her eyes to see his beautiful blues looking down at her, seeming to dance with held back laughter.

Leaning down to kiss her bare neck, all was forgiven quickly, and along with it came the realization that they were both still utterly naked inside this sleeping bag they shared.

"No nightmares?" He asked, his breath hot against her skin.

She smiled. "No nightmares."

He played with the tip of her disheveled braid.

"Then again, you kind of have to actually sleep to dream, don't you?" She grinned, his dimpled smile coming back into view.

What was that sound? Katniss realized it was the jingle of the bells above the front door one second too late. "Oh God! My eyes!" Haymitch called from the hallway, the two heads poking out of the sleeping bag snapping over to see Haymitch's face scrunched up, his eyes screwed shut, like he was sucking on a lemon. "Put a sock on the handle next time!"

"Haymitch, there are no doors in here," Peeta said dryly.

"Then lay one on the floor of the hallway!" He turned to the side with a speed neither knew he possessed.

"That sounds dangerous," Katniss said haltingly, smiling up at Peeta who was trying to contain his laughter.

"Oh, shaddup!" He opened one eye and turned just enough so that he could see them. "And may I say - about damn time, you two."

They heard his incoherent muttering as he stalked back to the front, Peeta's laughter finally falling in fits from his lips.

"It ain't funny, boy!" Haymitch called from the front. "I saw things that can never be unseen that I wish I'd never seen."

Now they were both laughing, loud belly laughs.

"It's not funny!" He cried, though a smile was detected in his tone.

They both giggled like school children, trying to stifle the sounds by biting their lips or covering their mouths.

Memories from the night before came flooding back, and Katniss began to wonder if things would have continued this morning if Haym- Oh. _Oh_. _Oh_. She was answered by a familiar rhythm. Seems Peeta could do more with his hands than just drawing and baking. A lot more.

"For the love of God, you two! I can hear the damn sleeping bag crinkling!" Haymitch cried in anguish. After nothing but _crinkling_ filled the air, he continued. "And that cot is squeaky!" His voice was growing feeble, like a scared child. Several squeaks later his feet hit the floor loudly before the radio turned on throughout the shop to some new dance beat, blasting to cover the _squeaking_.

But Peeta smirked, seeming to take it as a challenge for a new pace.

When all was said and done - after he had paused the music and yelled, "You two bunnies done yet? I need to pee. And I don't wanna walk past that room again. I need my corneas." And made them verify twice that they were up and decent - Haymitch stalked back by the doorway, passing to some unknown destination, muttering about buying doors for this place and a truck load of socks and something about wondering where he could find a 'Beware of Couple' sign to stand up in the hallway. He paused in the middle of the frame, staring straight down the hall. "Please, just wipe everything down. I don't want to know. Just wipe it _all_ down." He took a step and stopped. "And for crying out loud…. Socks. Use them."

Xxx

Of all the things in all the places Katniss expected, this was not it. Never in her life did she anticipate being face down in a tattoo parlor chair, her utterly bare back facing the artist as a canvas ready for work, and that artist was her boyfriend.

So many things she never thought she'd do, or were simply too outlandish to entertain were now a part of her everyday life.

How odd.

She started to laugh to herself quietly as she heard Peeta prepping the equipment. It started as a soft, amused snort and quickly turned into something of a relief-filled chuckle that she couldn't stop. It just kept pouring out of her like water from a hose.

Peeta didn't help when he caught the bug as well, laughter bubbling from his lips as he asked what was going on. She could hear his raised eyebrows. They had a tone.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, taking steady breaths as she analyzed the tile pattern of the floor.

"Are you sure?" Peeta's face appeared below the little cutout for her face, causing her to jump, sitting up in the chair with a small squeal of surprise.

She scowled at his unwavering stare, suddenly very aware of how cold the room was. Looking down with large eyes, she quickly covered her chest with her arms, leaning down into the chair. "You are despicable," she muttered.

"I'm a man. And a genius one at that," he mused, trailing a finger along her left shoulder blade as he returned to his station behind her, causing her to shudder. "Still cold?" She could hear the lilt of his voice taunting her.

"Shut up and draw."

Xxx

"Why is it so damn cold in here?" Katniss mumbled, wrapping her arms across the chair where her chest should be, hugging it as if to squeeze any ambient heat from it's blue pleather squish.

"To keep you awake," Peeta breathed, his warm breath close to her skin, causing the hairs to stand on end. This was the first time she really wasn't able to watch, even if he had allowed her to, and Peeta was taking advantage of the fact, along with their newfound closeness, taking extra care to let his hands linger gently when he could.

As he had traced the design, the swoops felt almost intimate, the pen an extension of his hand creating a scene in its wake. And his free hand splayed gently on her waist and back didn't help that feeling, either.

His voice was so swaying, so lively, as if it were its own person apart from Peeta. His words could move mountains the way he was talking.

"Mmmm," she hummed into the chair, covering the buzzing of the pen for only a moment. "The chair smells like you."

"Well, we wiped everything down, so I don't know how that's possible."

"You have no idea the effect you have, do you?" She turned her head to its side briefly. "Even pleather can't forget something like that."

"Well, it is memory foam," Haymitch's dry tone came from the doorway, causing an almost identical head snap toward the sound as earlier that morning. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed along with his ankles, grinning like a cheshire cat. Looking to Katniss with concern in his eyes, he tilted his head sideways to mirror her. "Now, I know it's already too late, but, darlin', are you sure about this? This is a huge piece of ink."

"I am," she said softly, matching his serious face. "These things are a huge part of my life, why would I want to forget them?"

Pushing himself off the frame and turning toward the front he winked at her. "Just making sure you wanted that butterfly the boy is starting on."

"What?!" Craning her neck to see over her shoulder, she sighed in relief when there was no butterfly, only Haymitch's laugh lilting down the hall behind him. "Damn you, Haymitch," she said under her breath. Looking up to Peeta's face, she caught the faintest sign of a smile starting to form. "What?" She scowled at him.

"Nothing. I just like you."


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Don't worry. There is still more to come. Just a fluffy little chapter full of set up for what's to come._

_Thank you to my wonderful beta, papofglencoe!_

_I have to say - Wow! The response to this has been amazing!_

_Thank you so much for all your feedback! It really keeps me going._

_In the mean time, if you want, come see me on tumblr. everybirdfellsilent_

Xxx

It was almost done. It had been a long night full of laughs and snack runs, either Johanna or Haymitch braving the mass of paparazzi outside while the other stayed behind to guard "the love birds", as Jo had dubbed them.

Not a single nightmare was had, but then again, the good company and constant flow of conversation was a good way to stay awake.

Along with no nightmares, not a single cigarette was had, either. Come to think of it, Katniss hadn't seen him smoke in a while. She smiled faintly into the pleather of the seat, feeling the constant buzz of the pen stop.

She heard a chair rolling, and saw Peeta's sneakers through the hole in the chair, smiling at the double knots. His hand rested on her lower back, splayed out as if to touch every inch he could, to prove this was really happening.

"It's done," he said with a sigh, the heat of his hand leaving her skin, and the sound of cracking joints soon following as he stretched.

A low whistle from where Haymitch sat in the corner with his feet propped up made Katniss smile even wider. "Damn, boy! Why don't you do work that good more often? You've been slacking!" A light smack was heard along with a snort from Johanna. "Quit hitting me in the head, woman!"

"Stop being a crass old man!"

Haymitch snickered. "Like that'll ever happen."

"Exactly."

"Um, guys?" Katniss cleared her throat. "Not that this whole thing doesn't sound amusing," she gestured blindly behind her with one arm, swooping it for good measure, "believe me, I'm laughing on the inside." All three let out a soft snort eerily similar. "But can someone please give me my shirt or a towel or something to hold up and cover myself so I can actually see my new tattoo?"

"Nah," all three voices said after a moment, and Katniss scowled at their shared sarcasm.

"Peeta, give me something, or I swear to God, I will make you eat pears for the next-" her shirt appeared under the hole in the chair, and she grinned. "Thank you."

As she covered herself, she looked over her shoulder to see Peeta shrugging, Haymitch and Johanna grinning widely with raised eyebrows. "What? She's serious! When it comes to her and that damn rabbit food-"

His voice trailed off as he followed Haymitch's gaze, a very Katniss-esque scowl on his face at the small smile the older man wore, and he quickly saw the source, his jaw dropping slightly as his knit eyebrows melted away.

With her back to the mirror, her shirt clutched tightly against her chest, she looked over her shoulder at her reflection, staring at the tattoo, the angry red skin still flaming around the black swoops.

He couldn't quite read her expression, her face void as her eyes flicked up and down and back again over the ink, holding her long, loose hair over one shoulder. It wasn't until her eyes began to twinkle, a small tear falling down her cheek which she hastily wiped away, a small smile following her hand to replace it.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" He quickly walked over in front of her, running his hands up and down her arms, but she just shook her head gently, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "I love it." She turned her head to face him, eyes flitting up to his quickly. "Thank you." Her nose came right to his collarbone before she turned to rest her temple against it, hearing his heartbeat underneath.

"Of course." He wrapped his arms low around her waist in order to avoid the tattoo.

Johanna must have slipped out at some point because only Haymitch was left in the corner, staring Peeta in the eyes through the mirror as he nodded his head approvingly. "Now I see what you mean, sweetheart. That definitely deserves to be painted as big as day."

Katniss smiled at him, her head already turned his way against Peeta's chest. Closing her eyes she saw it clear as day, her tattoo reflected back at her. A dreamcatcher, not only to ward off the bad dreams, but to keep the good ones in.

It was fairly basic, looking to the naked eye like your normal dreamcatcher, but if you looked closely, you could see the tendrils, the snare portion inside the band of willow was actually the boughs of a willow tree, growing up out of the bottom of the hoop and swirling like a wind blown promise.

Feathers hung from it, of course, down near the base of the tree, but only two. One for each of her parents. She dreaded the day she would ever have to add another, but at the rate she was gaining friends - as well as making enemies - she expected it to be sooner or later.

Nodding at Haymitch's words, she looked up to find Peeta's eyes already looking down her way, and it made her smile. "Well, this is the place where I fell in love with you. So it only seemed appropriate."

Johanna barked a laugh from the front, followed by a low, "Well, shit."

Haymitch's feet fell from their propped position to the floor with a loud clang, his jaw agape despite the large grin working it's way up. "Whoooo!"

Confused for the briefest of moments, Katniss instantly went still, rigid in his arms, staring straight forward at his clavicle as she saw his adam's apple bob with a rough swallow.

"Y-you lo-" he hooked a finger under her chin and tipped her head up, waiting until she met his eyes with her own, the grin on his face stretching painfully wide, and the arm around her waist cinching significantly tighter. "You love me?"

Turning her glare on Haymitch, he raised his hands in surrender and left the room, still grinning madly despite his muttered, "Don't stop on my account."

"I don't stop for anyone, sweetheart," the two of them mumbled out of habit, smiling widely when their eyes met one another's once again.

"What?" Katniss asked softly.

Shaking his head almost indiscernibly, he pulled her closer slowly by the finger hooked under her chin.

"Nothing. I just really like you."

Her jaw dropped and he laughed, their lips barely touching in that way they always did right before the best kisses. "Just kidding. Of course I meant 'love'. You know that."

"Duh."


	19. Not a chapter, but an important update!

Okay. So something I just felt needed to be said.

"Stop and Smell the Roses" (**FF and A03**) was a drabble prompt gone wild from thesnowyangelwriter months and months ago. Almost a year now.

Here I am, 18 chapters later with a lot of story left in my head, and a nomination for "All-Time Favorite Hunger Games Fanfic". Speechless doesn't even begin to cover it. I am on alist surrounded by the people who inspired me to write, who I Kermit flail anytime one of them mentions me or messages me or offers to beta for me…. I am surrounded by some of the giants and I feel more and more like a Hobbit in comparison.

I started the story when I was in a great frame of mind, having just moved past some personal issues and was happy with where I was going until one day it all changed. Things got tumultuous around chapter 10 in my personal life, and they still have yet to be resolved. A great many things, I won't bore you with details, plus I tend to make a big deal and worry over the problems of people closest to me as well, a lot of which happened at the same time.

I have a lot of that story left to tell, things I have *actually* plotted out, I just can't words sometimes. I just can't words.

Seeing your support through those months, requests for more, reviews on how much you loved it, mean so much to me still, every day. I remember.

Seeing I got nominated for the prompt that got away from me humbles me and makes me feel so loved, you have no idea.

I don't know what is so special about this story, and I always hate reading my own writing, but I find myself pulled in when I read back over it to try and get inspired. Somehow I made this little world that may make no sense in some regards, but in it's own little universe, it's spinning on it's own, weaving it's own tale, it just chose me to do the telling.

What started as a story about a tattoo artist who meets a flower arranger has taken root inside me, and I'm not letting go anytime soon. This story is near and dear to my heart and will be finished, of that I guarantee. But the thing about this story, is I wrote when it hit me. That was my challenge. I wanted to only write what wanted to be written, what came naturally. And for some reason that voice has been silenced.

I am getting that voice back, and will continue the story shortly. It was recommended to me that I finish it before the voting, but I do not want to compromise the ending just to get a higher chance of votes.

Being nominated for my little story I can't stop spinning is more than enough. Thank you again, whoever nominated me. And if you want to vote, the link to the nomination should take you there. It opens April 11th.

**Edit: I just realized the links don't work here. So go to my tumblr or A03 to see the post with them all. **


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